Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd century CE. A breathtaking higher than 20 karat gold link-in-link necklace with 12 glass beads of brilliant blue and gorgeous green hues arranged in a well-balanced design, secured by a hook and eye clasp - tremendously attractive as well as wearable. Each bead was skillfully rendered into a round or oval cabochon form with smooth, polished surfaces; their coloring is dare I say "magical" - boasting hues of cornflower blue and emerald green, and most of the glass beads possess wonderful translucency as well. Precious metal composition: 90% gold; 9% silver; 7% copper. Size: 17.75" L (45.1 cm); largest beads ~ .25" in diameter (0.6 cm)

For more information about Roman gold jewelry read: Oliver, Jr., Andrew. "Greek, Roman, and Etruscan Jewelry" The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, May 1966, pp. 269-284. (https://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3258219.pdf.bannered.pdf) and Alexander, Christine. 1928. Jewelry: The Art of the Goldsmith in Classical Times as Illustrated in the Museum Collection. p. 11, fig. 12, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This piece has been has been tested for the presence or absence of particular elements via XRF elemental analysis. A basic 1-page summary of the XRF screening will accompany purchase, identifying each element present in the sample, as well as the quantity of elements present. A more complete analysis detailing historical data / comparisons is available for additional charge – please contact us.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#137720

Chip/loss to the green glass bead as shown. Others are intact. Gold shows an attractive, warm patina.