As in many ancient societies, jewellery was an important social marker used to demonstrate wealth, social status and privilege. Hellenistic jewellery is generally characterised by a high level of refinement and attention to details. After the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexandre the Great in 331 BC, the Greeks entered in contact not only with new cultures but also with new techniques and styles of jewellery making.
During the Hellenistic period, jewellery was not only worn by the living but was also dedicated to temples and sanctuaries and buried with the deceased.
