Ring

This extremely small ring probably belonged to a child. It is set with a turquoise, long reputed to have protective and talismanic qualities. It was considered to protect the wearer from harm and to reflect the health of its wearer. Turquoise was also believed to restore harmony between husbands and wives. The Cambridge scholar Thomas Nicols's 1659 A Lapidary or History of Precious stones claimed that turquoise was not only a delight to the eye but strengthened the sight and renewed the bond between man and wife.

The number of small turquoise rings that survive may suggest that the stone had some particularly beneficial or protective effect for young children.