Western Asia 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, silver and electrum jewellery would have featured gold granules, glass and semi-precious stone inlays and detailed engravings.
Coral, known for its vibrant orange and red hues, was a semi-precious material within the Ancient World. The original species was found mostly in the Mediterranean Sea and harvested, to be used in jewellery, as inlays or cabochons. Although naturally matte, it can be polished to give it a luminous shine. The Ancient Greeks labelled coral as ‘Gorgeia’, belonging to the Gorgons. It was believed that the hero Perseus, having slain Medusa, placed her head on the shore. In doing so, her poisonous blood had turned the surrounding seaweed and rushes into coral.
