BYZANTINE HIGH KARAT GOLD RING WITH VIRGIN MARY AND INSCRIPTION. Ca. AD 600 A gold ring with a flat circular bezel engraved with the Virgin orans within a Greek inscription, joined to a solid hoop of circular section. The Virgin is shown frontally with a nimbus, both arms raised in prayer, wearing a long vertically striated garment, while short groups of Greek letters are arranged around the figure as an abbreviated devotional legend. Size: D:19.35mm / US: 9 1/2 / UK: S 1/2; Weight: 7.3g. Provenance: Private London collection; previously part of a distinguished New York private collection, assembled between 1975 and 1995. The collection was documented and authenticated in the early 1990s by Dr. Jack Ogden and Barbara Deppert Lippitz, leading specialists in ancient jewellery. A significant number of objects from this collection were published in a professional catalogue, a copy of which is available upon request. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.