Ancient To Roman
Jewelry from ancient cultures is a fascinating mixture of objets trouvés and creations by early artisans. So popular were the designs they created that revivalist jewelers continue to work in the styles of antiquity to this day. Some of the secret processes used by these early jewelers have challenged and eluded contemporary jewelers. Select from the Ancient to Roman pictorial glossary below to discover more.
Historic Overview
Up until 2015, the oldest known objects that were believed to have served a decorative purpose for the human body were approximately 110,000 years old. Drilled shell beads from this time (the...
Called the ‘cradle of civilisation’ by some, the ancient lands of Mesopotamia have certainly been the cradle of fine workmanship when it comes to jewelry. Southwest Asia and what is...
The Nile Valley has been home to humans for over 100,000 years and in those very early days stone, shell, bone, animal teeth, and ivory were used as personal decoration, similar to...
By Pavlos Flourentzos & Maria Luisa Vitobello Abstract: In 1998 a built tomb was excavated at the southern outskirts of Larnaka Town in the direction of the airport. The tomb...
When describing jewelry from Greece one should start with the Minoans. Around 3000 BC signs of a new civilisation on the island Crete started to emerge. The origin of this...
Although granulation, embossing, and filigree had been used in Mesopotamia and Egypt earlier, the Etruscans perfected the techniques to a very impressive level. The delicacy and technical precision were a complete novelty for...
The term ‘Celtic’ is used to describe the inhabitants of Europe during the Iron Age. It is a vast generalisation of tribes that display certain similarities in their language, culture,...
Archaeological finds of Roman jewelry are relatively rare considering the magnitude of the Roman civilisation, its duration and its vast Empire. It is hidden hoards of jewelry and individual finds...
Vignettes
Granulation (from Latin: granum = “grain”) is a goldsmith’s technique whereby the surface of a jewel is decorated with small spheres of precious metal, named granules, according to a design pattern. The...
The Bronze Age is a term first introduced around 1830 by a Danish archaeologist called Thomson. He classified the periods of prehistory according to the materials that were used to manufacture...
A signet ring features an intaglio gem, or decorative carving that is engraved with a monogram, coat of arms or, other heraldic or personal symbol. Throughout history, signets were used as...
This little perfect figure may seem to be a trifling matter on which to found an essay; and yet we shall find it connected with history and poetry. It is...
Earrings are much more than just decorative jewelry for the ear. Gods and goddesses, symbols, talismans and amulets have all been depicted in the designs fastened to or suspended from the ear...
Necklaces have existed ever since our ancestors began to walk upright. Our desire to adorn ourselves has been evident since ancient times with Paleolithic and Neolithic necklaces made from shells, bones,...
Terms & Definitions
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The doves of Pliny (or “Pliny’s doves”) is a mosaic created by Sosos of Perguma (present-day Turkey) and described by Pliny in his The Natural History, 1st century AD.
Egyptian blue was a synthetic pigment used in Egypt, starting around the 3rd millennium BC, to imitate turquoise and lapis lazuli. Blue was an important color to the Egyptians and natural gemstones...
Foil backing (or foiling) is a gemstone surface enhancement technique where a thin sheet of metal or other material (sometimes colored) is placed behind the gemstone in order to reflect more...
