DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN—Manx Radio reports that a metal detectorist on the Isle of Man uncovered a piece of jewelry identified as a Stuart-period mourning ring made of crystal and gold inlaid with black enamel. The ring bears the letters “J” and “D,” and may commemorate James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby and Lord of Man, who signed his name as J Derby. Allison Fox of Manx National Heritage explained that Stanley supported the Royalists during England’s Civil War and was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1651. His wife Charlotte, Lady Derby, may have distributed such a high-status ring to commemorate him. “The quality suggests that it was made for, or on behalf of, an individual of high status,” she explained. The ring is currently on display at the Manx Museum. To read about a 4,000-year-old jet necklace found on the Isle of Man, go To "Jetting Across the British Isles."
