Gold Ring Set with a Cabochon Turquoise. Western Europe, early 17th century. A Renaissance gold ring set with an oval cabochon turquoise in a plain collet bezel. The shoulders are ornamented with scrolling motifs and traces of original blue enamel. The ring is finely modelled and well worn, the turquoise showing natural inclusions typical of early stones. Such rings combined elegance with symbolic meaning: turquoise was prized for its vivid colour and believed to protect the wearer from harm. The design and craftsmanship embody the refinement of early 17th-century European goldsmithing.