A HEART-SHAPED medieval gold ring which was unearthed by a doctor while metal detecting near Tetbury has been declared treasure.
A coroner formally declared the ring to be treasure at an inquest in Gloucester on Thursday, August 31.
Assistant Gloucestershire coroner Roland Wooderson said the ring was found two inches underground in a field west of Tetbury by Dr Peter Anning of Cardiff on October 30, 2021.
Dr Anning was metal detecting on the site with the permission of the landowner, Philip Kinch.
The gold stirrup finger ring has a dark blue gemstone setting and it is believed to date back to between 1200 and 1400 AD, said the coroner.
Dr Anning handed the ring in to the National Museum in Cardiff and it was then passed to the British Museum for expert examination.
A report from Jessica Romano, treasure registrar at the British Museum, said the ring weighs 2.2 grams and is 3.9mm thick and 20.5mm in diameter.
She stated: "The band of the ring is distorted, bending inwards and forming a heart shape.
"This is most likely accidental damage."
The Corinium Museum in Cirencester is now hoping to acquire the ring and put it on display.
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