Not the beady eyes of a spider with heterochromia, nor shining lamps at a harbour entrance marking port and starboard, this is instead a ruby and an emerald, set into a golden ring from the 1400s. It was probably a love token or betrothal ring. Emeralds were associated with chastity and rubies with love and prevention of anger, which may have been important qualities in a medieval relationship.

I rather enjoy mysterious objects like these – ones that were clearly highly valued by the people who commissioned and owned them, but with no direct evidence of who those people were, their identities and personalities remain lost to us forever. I wonder what they’d make of their betrothal ring going on display in a museum today.