Rare Pair of Ancient Greek Earrings Set with Garnets
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A beautiful pair of Garnet earrings circa 300 CE, this extremely rare garnet cabochon earrings. It is so rare to find true ancient earrings like this, for so often, in the past nearly two millennia, one would be separated from the other... And two ancient earrings with garnet "carbuncles" is quite in line with the ancient fascination with the garnet.
According to Thomas Lind, the prolific garnet historian,
Pliny the Elder translates „anthrax“ [garnet] into „carbunculus“, and describes the glowing of “carbunculi” when held against the against the sunrays („contra radios solis scintillare“).
Giving us one of the earliest scientific sources on gemstones, (published in 77CE,) Pliny was a prolific documentarian and focused extensively on treasures of the natural world, and the carbuncle garnet featured heavily in his work, it is wonderful to know that this earrings so closely followed the release of his work.
Historical notes; these Greek earrings feature true granulation, a technique that was lost for nearly two millennia, revived by the Castellani brothers in the 1870's. They also feature the wonderful original high carat gold that so many artists worked to recreate through techniques like matte finish and blooming in the third and final quarters of the 19th century. If you are a collector of 19th century archaeological revival jewelry, these would be a remarkable addition to your collection.
Materials and Features: 20ct, Carbuncle garnet cabochons
Age/Origin: Greek 3rd Centiry CE
Marks: None
Measurements: 1.5" in length, 3.2g each earring (6.6g together)
Condition: Excellent historical condition. Newly added shepherds hook tops make them wearable!
Please view and inspect any photos closely. We endeavor to fully disclose all condition information clearly and concisely, however, please note that what qualifies as excellent condition for historical jewelry differs from modern and contemporary pieces; please take the age of the piece into account when examining the piece. Minor age wear is typical and to be expected for antique and vintage jewelry. Unless otherwise stated, gemstones have not been officially graded for color, clarity, or treatment by GIA; any information provided is our own educated, professional assessment.
