Many grand civilisations inhabited the Near East, and their wealth and prosperity is witnessed by the very sophisticated crafting of precious metals in jewellery. Gold would have been hammered down into a thin layer and manipulated into different shapes. Gold and silver jewellery were also enriched with gold granules, glass, and semi-precious stone inlays with detailed engravings. Very fine granulation along with filigree, were at the centre of Near Eastern and Western Asiatic jewellery production and were later adopted by the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans. Beads such as these fine examples, have been found in areas once inhabited by people of ancient Mesopotamia and Medes. Quadruple spiral beads were particularly popular in the Near East as far back as the Bronze Age era.
To find out more about different metal decorative techniques please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
