Ilminster Ring digitized via 3D scanning and printing

The Ilminster Ring, a 1,700-year-old Roman gold artifact dating to 297 AD, has been digitized through a collaborative project involving the Somerset Council Library Service, the South West Heritage Trust, and the Ilminster Arts Centre. Using a sophisticated 3D hand scanner funded by the British Library, experts created a highly detailed digital model of the ring.

This technology allowed for the production of a geometrically faithful 3D-printed replica. The replica is intended to allow visitors to handle and examine the object closely, protecting the original gold ring—which features a carved niello gemstone depicting the goddess Victoria—from the risks associated with direct physical contact.

The project was showcased during the Ilminster Roman Ring Discovery Day on August 20, 2026. The event demonstrated how digital manufacturing can support heritage conservation and public engagement by making fragile historical items more accessible to the community.