Jewelry with a History

A gold ring, known as the Ring of the Grieving Mother, was discovered during excavation work on private property on the outskirts of Rome in 2000.

Workers accidentally discovered a rich tomb. The burial was dated to the early first century CE. Upon gaining access, archaeologists discovered two enormous, richly decorated white marble sarcophagi containing the noble matron Aebutia Quarta and her son Titus Carvilius Gemellus. The embalming they underwent left them in such a state of extraordinary preservation that Carvilius’ remains became known as the “Mummy of Rome.”

Carvilius died at the age of 18. Arsenic particles found in his hair and fractures suggest possible poisoning and a subsequent fall from a horse. His mother, Ebutia, wore a ring of extraordinary craftsmanship on her ring finger, which has thrilled archaeologists and scholars not so much for the materials it was made from, but for its uniqueness. His mother died a few years after her son’s death, at the age of 40-45. Throughout this time, she wore a remarkable ring bearing his portrait, which was likely custom-made as a memorial posthumous jewelry.

The gold ring is set with a rock crystal cabochon, through the convex surface of which a carved miniature portrait depicting a young man is visible. The refraction of light through the crystal lens creates a holographic effect, lending an enigmatic depth to the image, as if Titus Carvilius Gemellus is looking at us from the depths of time.