A METAL detectorist from Helensburgh has spoken of his joy at discovering the "find of a lifetime" - a gold posy ring dating from the 17th century.
The rare piece of jewellery measures just over one-and-a-half centimetres in diameter and was uncovered by hobbyist Robin Potter in the Helensburgh and Cardross area earlier this month.
The name posy derives from the French word for poem, referring to the inscription on either the interior or exterior of the ring.
The tiny item features an engraving inside which reads: "Gife parted hearts in paine", with the word 'hearts' replaced with two overlapping heart symbols.
The rings were given as tokens of love centuries ago with the short poem inside kept a secret from all but the two lovers.
READ MORE: 17th-century gold ring found near Loch Lomond sells for £14,000 at auction
Having reported his little piece of history to Treasure Trove Scotland, as he was legally required to do, Robin is now waiting to hear whether the 400-year-old item will be claimed by National Museums of Scotland.
Robin told the Advertiser: "When I found it it was about the fourth signal of the day and the previous ones had all been iron and junk.
"I was just blown away.
"I did everything from laughing to crying tears of joy, I even phoned my wife in tears.
"It is definitely a once in a lifetime, bucket list find."
Robin, 50, is also a keen beachcomber and he has been metal detecting for around four years, with some of his previous finds including WW2 anti aircraft shrapnel from the Clydebank blitz, Victorian and Georgian coins, musket balls and lead toy soldiers from the 1940s and 1950s.
Following his latest find he has been left pondering whether the gold ring was discarded after a lovers' tiff or lost during a caring embrace.
He said: "I enjoy researching the history of my finds as much as finding them.
"I was aware the ring was rare and by all accounts even rarer having the outer engraving decoration and the enamelling.
"I was amazed the ring was in one piece as I have a habit of hitting finds with my spade!"
Social media users were quick to share their delight at Robin's find when he shared it on Facebook, with Kilcreggan's own antiques expert Roo Irvine commenting: "This is amazing! Stunning find!"
Robin also runs a YouTube channel where he documents all of his hunts – click here for more.
READ MORE: Click here for all the latest news headlines from across Helensburgh and Lomond
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