Niello is rare before the late Roman period; it only becomes widespread in the early Byzantine period. The birds and feathered pattern on the hoop were originally nielloed. The bezel design has no traces of niello, but the unreversed direction of the inscription suggests that it was not intended as a signet. A similar ring in the British Museum, which has the combination of a bird and cross, was found in Britain. The presence of a cross on a ring would not be expected before the early 4th Century A.D. This particular ring shape developed out of a late Roman form. The diamond-shaped bezel is unusual as most rings have a square bezel and simpler decoration