While most of the data in this 2009 article still appears relevant, the percentages of fakes vs. genuine has indeed skyrocketed. Ebay effectively washed its hands of even a minimal degree of oversight and accountability when it began grouping everything into the "Other Decorative Collectibles" category. Now it doesn't matter if the item is real or fake or stolen or misappropriated or dispensed from a Moroccan bubblegum machine or illegally extracted from a site of human remains. Ebay couldn't care less.

Gaius

2009 article from Science Daily:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504193641.htm

The two book by Tom Pollio mentioned above are to be especially recommended.

This review is entirely correct.


This comprehensive guide fills a critical void in the available literature regarding ancient finger rings comprised of base metals and low grade silver alloy. Increasingly, these modest relics of times past are being unearthed and sold through a growing assortment of worldwide venues. Unfortunately, the accompanying descriptions are often inaccurate and unreliable in the extreme. To date, the available reference material for researchers and collectors has been almost entirely restricted to the historic and "high end" pieces of the past, i.e., the gold and precious stones of royalty and the very wealthy. The public has had next to nothing with which to evaluate these common rings.

This guide not only examines the physical structure of these pieces, but also the images and symbols which are such important elements of these ancient artifacts. As such, this book is an invaluable guide not only for merchants and collectors, but also researchers, students and educators regarding the types of ancient rings so conspicuously missing in the available literature.

You will find this useful though it is fairly basic.

https://finds.org.uk/counties/findsrecordingguides/finger-rings/

Kelly

Dennis none of the rings in these listings date to the Roman Period. The initial two appear roughly between the 8th and 11th centuries. The assortment in the final listing run the gamut from approximately the 10th and 14th centuries. The exception are the three decorate rosette rings, which are dateable to between the 15th and 17th century. So the good news is they are all authentic. The bad news is none of them are Roman. If you have your heart set on a Roman ring, skip these three listings.

Gaius