Description
The Alfred Jewel is inscribed "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN", meaning 'Alfred ordered me made'. It is about 21⁄2 inches (6.4 cm) long and was made of filigreed gold, enclosing a highly polished piece of clear quartz 'rock crystal', beneath which is set a cloisonné enamel plaque, with an image of a man, perhaps Christ, with ecclesiastical symbols. The figure "closely resembles the figure of Sight in the Fuller Brooch, but it is most commonly thought to represent Christ as Wisdom or Christ in Majesty". It was at one time attached to a thin rod or stick based on the hollow socket at its base. The back is a flat gold plate engraved with an acanthus-like plant motif.
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