A Norwegian Woman Unknowingly Purchased A Rare Viking Ring During An Online Auction

A Norwegian woman named Mari Ingelin Heskestad was shopping at an online auction when she purchased a collection of old jewelry.

Mari was really only interested in one of the pieces, but it was being offered as part of a set. So, she purchased the entire collection.

Although after receiving the set of jewelry– which consisted of earrings, rings, and necklaces– one ring in particular really stood out to Mari.

“I realized that it was so heavy. It glistened, stood out against the other jewelry, and looked very special,” she said.

So, Mari consulted her dad– who is well-versed in historical artifacts– and it turns out she had bought a historical Viking ring.

After the revelation, she immediately contacted archaeologists from the Vestland County Municipality in Norway.

“It is extremely rare that such things are brought in second-hand. We are impressed that Mari recognized the type of gold and could place its time period so well,” said Sigrun Wolstad, one of the archaeologists.

The ring is a bright yellow gold that appears to twist around itself.

Vestland County Municipality; pictured above is the lot of jewlery

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And since analyzing the artifact, experts have confirmed that the ring came from the Late Iron Age and Viking Age.

Similar rings have been found in other parts of Norway, but they are extremely rare.

The University Museum in Bergen also revealed that the ring weighs a whopping 10.98 grams. Its size also suggests that the ring once belonged to a man.

Since the jewelry piece is a historical artifact, it has now been turned over to the museum for preservation.

Vestland County Municipality; pictured above is Mari with the ring

The museum also plans to exhibit the ring in the coming months but has not yet finalized a release date.

Until then, museum officials are ecstatic that the ring ended up in the right hands.

“The archaeologists here in the county municipality are impressed by the knowledge of Mari,” said Karoline Hareide Breivik, the acting section leader for cultural heritage.

“One must have knowledge of the subject to know prehistoric gold. We are happy that the ring was handed over to us so that professionals at the museum can now care for it.”

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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