A very fine gold Ancient Roman ring with a dark red, garnet intaglio. The round hoop leads to a flattened bezel, incorporating a rounded garnet carved with an intaglio. The intaglio features a standing woman, the deity Fortuna. Carefully rendered, the goddess is pictured with all her traditional symbolic accoutrements: in the deity’s left hand she holds onto a rudder or tiller, while in her right she cradles a cornucopia. The ring is in good condition with some earthy encrustation to the garnet. The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, for it provided a public display of their wealth. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads. However, as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, jewellery designs became increasingly elaborate. Different cultural styles from Greece, Egypt, North Africa, and the Orient were all incorporated to reflect Rome’s prosperity as a dominant, conquering city. The custom of wearing rings was probably introduced by the Sabines, who are described in early legends as wearing gold rings with precious stones. During the Roman Republic it became customary for all the senators, chief magistrates, and eventually the equites, to wear gold rings. Measurements: (circa) L 2.4cm x W 1.7cm Internal diameter: 1.5cm Weight: 4.24g Closest UK ring size: H ½ Provenance: Ex Japanese private collection, 1970-2010.