Hi Anne, this is one of my favorite areas but unfortunately there have been far to few references to the craftsmen in the islamic world. There seems to have been no systematic dating of what I consider to be the finest examples of 10th to the 14th century rings. Namely, those produced in the islamic centers from spain, eastward through to iran and india.
Many of these very old rings are not marked. Some may be engraved. One Islamic ring I've come across was engraved in Arabic writing- "give me a good ending" however in the Arabic translation it can also read "seal it properly".
You look at things like Bezels. At Weights and Heights and Craftsmanship. Conical bezels may be truncated there may be wire loops in the shoulders. Cabochons may be set in box settings. The stones can range from rock crystals to crudely faceted tourmalines.
A fascinating area but overlooked in the world of antique jewelry! Anne send in whatever photos you can. Submit photos in in follow-up submissions and I will manually add to your original submission.
I would love to see your collection and discuss. Thank you for your question!
