An ancient piece of treasure unearthed in a field near Danbury will go on display in Essex after generous donors secured its future.

The rare gold headband, called a diadem, will be added to a public collection at Chelmsford Museum.

The piece, found by a metal detectorist in 2016, is considered the oldest gold in Essex and dates back to the Bronze Age.

The museum launched a bid to raise £3,000 – aptly named Diadems Are Forever - to cover the cost of buying, cleaning and conserving the golden treasure.

Throughout October, donations poured in and the campaign reached its target.

Susan Sullivan, cabinet member for Chelmsford Museum, said: “As soon as Chelmsford Museum heard about the diadem, we knew that it absolutely had to be acquired for public display.

“Such an incredible piece, steeped in history and of incredible importance in understanding our area during the Bronze Age, could not be allowed to disappear into a private collection.”

The diadem was discovered in 2016 when a metal detectorist was searching a ploughed field in the Danbury area and his device alerted him to metal nearby.

Carefully removing the earth, he revealed something incredible - a rolled-up strip of shining gold.

Headbands like this are part of the Beaker Culture, which spread across Europe and brought metalworking technology to Britain.

Following an inspection at the British Museum, it turned out to be a diadem made from 95 per cent gold, dating to the very beginnings of the Bronze Age.

If it was unwound, the diadem would go around someone’s head.

Nick Wickenden, Senior Curatorial Consultant at the museum, said, “Once it has been acquired, the museum will send it to a metal analyst who will be able to tell us more about its origins.

“It will also go to a conservator who will clean it, care for it and get it ready for public display.

“The older part of Chelmsford Museum is currently undergoing a major redevelopment, with all kinds of exciting, interactive galleries using the latest technology.

“The diadem will take pride of place in the ‘First Settlers’ room when it opens next year, next to other Beaker artefacts and surrounded by other items that tell visitors all about its journey, including a replica of what it would look like if it was unrolled.”

The diadem will now be acquired by the museum, sent for further analysis, and then cleaned and prepared for public display.