The Achaemenid Empire, famous in Antiquity for its richness of gold and precious stones, produced very sophisticated and detailed jewellery crafted from gold, silver and copper. Gold would have been hammered down to a thin layer and manipulated into different shapes. Gold and silver jewellery would have featured gold granules, glass and semi-precious stones inlays and detailed engravings, as seen on this fine piece. As in many ancient societies, jewellery was an important social market used to demonstrate wealth, social status and privilege. In Ancient Persian culture, jewellery was worn in everyday life, but also buried with the deceased as part of their funerary outfit.
To discover more about gemstones in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: The History and Mythology of Jewellery in Antiquity.