Rare medieval seal discovered in UK is inscribed with ‘Richard’s secret’ and bears a Roman-period gemstone

By Kristina Killgrove – Live Science

A medieval seal with a blood-red gemstone that was discovered in the U.K. is hiding an ancient secret, researchers have found.

A metal detectorist discovered the medieval seal in Gosfield, in the eastern county of Essex, in the fall of 2024. But a recent analysis of the seal by experts with the U.K.’s Portable Antiquities Scheme has revealed that the 800-year-old object prominently featured a 2,000-year-old Roman gemstone at its center.