Gold acorn-nibbling squirrel ring found near Ely declared treasure

The ring was made between 1500 to 1700, an era spanning the Wars of the Roses and the reigns of the Tudors and Stuarts

A gold ring found in a field and etched with a red squirrel on its hindlegs while nibbling an acorn "would have been owned by someone of high status".

The ring was discovered by a metal detectorist near Ely in Cambridgeshire, in January 2020.

It was made at some point between 1500 and 1700, according to county finds liaison officer Helen Fowler.

The item, which has been declared treasure, was crafted by someone with "years of training", she said.

It has a high level of detail suggesting it was made by a skilled goldsmith

Miss Fowler said: "It's done with great skill.

"You can tell it is definitely a red squirrel - with its tufted ears - which is also the only native species of squirrel."

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Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK during the 19th Century and have since displaced most of the native reds.

The 19.3mm (0.75in) by 18mm (0.70in) ring has a detailed depiction of the woodland animal, surrounded by what appears to be an oak leaf.

Native red squirrels, with their distinctive tufted ears, were found all across the United Kingdom at the time the ring was made

Miss Fowler said: "It would definitely have been owned by someone of high status, not just because of the quantity of the gold, but because of the craftsmanship."

She added: "It's human nature to wonder who owned it and their thoughts and feelings when they lost it, but it's far more interesting to think about the number of years of training the craftsman would have gone through to be able to create each hair on the squirrel's body and tail.

"And to wonder how he might have felt working on such a precious item?"

It was declared treasure by Cambridgeshire Coroner's Court.

Two Cambridgeshire museums have expressed an interest in buying it after an independent valuation has taken place.