A RARE gold "posy" ring found by local man Peter Cawley at Avebury has been acquired by Wiltshire Heritage Museum, in Devizes.
It is the first such ring ever found that has been made locally.
Museum curator Paul Robinson said: "The importance of the ring is that it is stamped on the inside with a mark to show that it was made by William Gough, a goldsmith in Marlborough, and probably the leading goldsmith in north Wiltshire in the mid-17th century. He was twice mayor of Marlborough, in 1648 and 1657."
Mr Cawley, who has since died, found the ring in 2001 and it was declared treasure at an inquest.
Posy rings began to be made in the Middle Ages but were most popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
They were love tokens exchanged between lovers or used as wedding rings.
They carry a wide range of inscriptions of love and affection. The Avebury ring is inscribed, "noe recompense but love."
Dr Robinson added: "The museum has a small collection of locally found posy rings in gold, silver or bronze.
"But this is the first that can be shown to have been made locally."
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