A metal detectorist said he cried tears of joy after uncovering a 17th century gold posy ring - which he claims could have been thrown away after a 'lovers' tiff'.
Robin Potter, 50, found the 400-year-old ring in a farmer's field near his home in Argyll and Bute and is now waiting to hear if the rare piece of jewellery will be claimed by the National Museum of Scotland.
Posy rings were given as tokens of love between the 16th and 18th centuries.
On the inside of the ring would be a short poem, intended only for the eyes of the two lovers.
The woman's or girl's ring found by Mr Potter features an engraving inside which reads: 'Gife parted hearts in paine'.
The word 'hearts' has been replaced with two overlapping heart symbols.
A metal detectorist said he cried tears of joy after uncovering a 17th century gold posy ring - which he claims could have been thrown away after a 'lovers' tiff'. Robin Potter, 50, found the 400-year-old ring in a farmer's field near his home in Argyll and Bute
The ring found by Mr Potter features an engraving inside which reads: 'Gife parted hearts in paine'. The word 'hearts' has been replaced with two overlapping heart symbols
Keen metal detectorist Mr Potter, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, believes the tiny gold ring could have been discarded after a lovers' tiff or lost 'in the heat of passion'.
He said the gold find makes up for all the 'rubbish' he's found metal detecting the last four years.
Full-time carer Mr Potter said: 'When I found it I was so happy I cried.
'It really is a thing of beauty, and it is the first piece of gold that I have found since I started metal detecting around four years ago.
'When you find something like this you go through a range of emotions from shock to pure joy.
Mr Potter, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute
'Before detecting any field I check with the owner which field I can detect so I am not disturbing the animals while they are lambing or calving.
'It just happened that that field was empty that day.
'It is tiny with a diameter of 15mm and was either a woman's or girl's ring.
'A lot of them are plain on the outside so mine being engraved on the outer with flowers and a crisscrossed pattern with entwined hearts on the ends even more special.
'There are also traces of blue enamel in the criss-cross pattern which again makes it rarer.
'Honestly, it's impossible to say how it was lost.
'It could have fallen off on a cold day, it could have been thrown after a lovers tiff or it could have been lost in the 'heat of passion', who knows.
Mr Potter found the ring in a farmer's field near his home in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute
Mr Potter was legally required to report the ring, which he found in June, to the Treasure Trove Scotland, because it's more than 300 years old
The name posy
