Jewellery & Antiquities
Wearable Roman Gold
Collecting beautiful, affordable, romantic ancient jewellery
by Alan Dawson
he whole subject of collecting ancient artefacts is often hotly
debated in terms of ethical issues. Some people think that all
artefacts from the ancient world should be stored in museums,
regardless of how common and plentiful they are. Certainly it must
be agreed that really important or unique antiquities should be
properly conserved, recorded and displayed for the benefit of
mankind in general, but not locked away in a museum’s storeroom
together with countless thousands of similar pieces. However, this is a
contentious subject which for the purposes of this article should be
left well alone! Ancient jewellery is another matter.
Jewellery in one form or another has been worn since pre-history but
very early gold jewellery was often melted down by tomb robbers for its
bullion value alone; as a result it seldom appears on the market. It might be
a surprise to learn that certain examples of extremely attractive Hellenistic
and Roman gold jewellery are still reasonably available to the collector and what’s more at an affordable price. There are of course the usual ‘star’
pieces which make a small fortune at auction but this applies to most areas
of collecting. Ancient gold jewellery is generally fashioned from almost
pure gold which is usually around 22ct to 24ct. 24 carat is pure gold which
in modern millesimal marking would be categorised as ‘999’, that is, 999
parts per thousand pure. 22 carat gold in the modern marking systems is
given the millesimal figure of ‘916’.
Now we hit another ‘ethical’ issue; should ancient jewellery be worn
today or should it simply be displayed? It all depends on the individual’s
own stance on the issue and also the piece in question. If the item is, for
argument’s sake, a pair of gold earrings, necklace, pendant or finger ring
and it is of a fairly common type and robust enough then there is no better
way to display ancient jewellery than on the human body. After all, that is
exactly what it was designed for! Obviously you wouldn’t choose to wear
such an artefact when gardening or playing sport but then you wouldn’t
wear your favourite modern jewellery either. So as long as the ancient
artefact is treated with the same care and respect it shouldn’t come to any
harm and when worn on special occasions can really be a ‘show stopper’.
I’ve chosen to concentrate on Roman gold of the first to third centuries
AD as this is the most readily available on the antiquities market and there
is a good variety of styles. Before deciding to buy ancient jewellery there
are a few facts and guidelines which should be considered. Firstly always
buy from a reputable dealer in antiquities. Carefully check that the piece
being offered is not cracked or has a fault which might make it unsafe to
wear. In the case of earrings the pair should match reasonably well, remembering that these artefacts are individually made and won’t be a perfect
pair. On the subject of earrings many ancient examples have open hoops as
they were fitted to the ear lobe and worn semi-permanently and therefore
require the attachment of modern 9ct ‘shepherds crook’ fittings to make
them safely wearable. Pendants rarely come with an original chain but do
usually have a suspension loop. Again, check that the top of the loop isn’t
worn too thin by rubbing on a chain or thong in ancient times. Necklaces
come in a variety of different chain link styles and are usually inter-spaced
with crudely cut stones in either coloured glass, agate, amethyst, cornelian,
emerald, garnet, lapis lazuli, pearl, rock crystal or sometimes sapphire.
Coloured glass and garnets are the most commonly encountered necklace
stones and do look very attractive. The catches on gold wire chain
necklaces, although usually functional, would certainly benefit from a
carefully fitted safety chain. As with all antiques and antiquities forgeries
and reproductions do exist but it’s quite easy to spot the difference between
T
Roman gold betrothal ring showing clasped hands in pledge of
marriage or loyalty, known as the ‘Concordia’ or harmony
ring. 2nd/3rd century AD. Silver rings of this type appear on
the market quite regularly but the gold versions are quite
scarce and usually attract a price tag of about £1,800 upwards
for a good specimen.
Roman gold and blue glass chain necklace, 2nd/3rd century
AD. Length 58cm. The hook-and-eye type fastening was fairly
standard throughout the Roman period. Wearable examples of
this type of necklace start at about £900. Private collection.
Close up of the chain links and fastener on the gold necklace.
ANTIQUES INFO - January/February 11
Jewellery & Antiquities
modern gold wire and ancient. Roman gold wire was achieved
by hammering or rolling the metal into thin strips whereas
modern drawn wire shows under magnification as a uniformly
even thickness with striations along its length. The method of
drawn wire was not invented until after the Roman period.
The Romans didn’t wear wedding rings as such but did
exchange betrothal or engagement rings in both gold and silver;
gold for the woman and silver for the man. The romantic and
appealing design on these rings was clasped hands in relief.
Roman finger rings have either a metal bezel or an inset stone
polished in cabochon form or flattened with an engraved intaglio
with the image of a deity or mythical scene. All ring stones and
intaglios had a special and significant meaning about which we
can only speculate given the mists of time. Finger rings come
with flat, round and angular hoops and some in extremely
delicate filigree work, the latter not being really suitable for
wearing. Some Roman gold rings are surprisingly small, in fact
too small to wear. They might have been made for the children
of wealthy families and kept throughout life (worn on a cord
Roman gold ring with a broad corrugated hoop
(2nd/3rd century AD) and set with a carnelian
intaglio of an unknown deity from the Roman
pantheon. Prices for this type start at about £550 if
undamaged.
A pair of very large Roman gold earrings (48mm
long) with plain ‘shields’ and stylised grape-cluster
drops, 2nd century AD. When complete this type
usually commands a price of between £750-£1,200.
round the neck) but it must be remembered that the ancients
were, in general, smaller than people of today. Thankfully there
are still Roman gold rings which are of a good size and are
robust enough to wear today. Again, a word of caution before
buying. Check that the hoop does not have a modern repair or
has worn too thin. Also look carefully at the stone or intaglio to
see if it has undue damage. Certain small chips and cracks
should be expected but nothing too severe.
Unlike fired pottery or organic material gold can’t be tested
scientifically to prove its age, although the surface of ancient
gold jewellery is usually slightly matt in appearance and,
together with the delicate workmanship, is difficult to fake
convincingly. Ancient gold should never be polished but simply
gently washed in clean water and left to dry naturally. Wearing
Roman gold jewellery can bring a new, exciting and romantic
dimension to an ancient artefact being both an interesting talking
point as well as a sound investment. As with any precious object
unfortunately the term caveat emptor must apply more strongly
to ancient jewellery than most other groups of antiquities.
A fine 3rd century gold ring with a fretted hoop
and a superb carnelian intaglio of Hilaritas (The
Roman goddess of mirth). This type, in good
condition, sells for between £750-£1,000 .
A hollow yet robust gold ring with an inset
carnelian intaglio engraved with an image of the
Roman household goddess Fortuna (goddess of
good fortune). This piece sold recently for £850.
Private collection.
Roman, 2nd century AD, gold pendant in the form
of a lunar crescent (3 x 2.2cm) a symbol affiliated
with the goddess Diana. Photo courtesy of Ancient
& Oriental Ltd. The price for this type of pendant
starts at about £650.
Roman gold ‘hoop and shield type’ earrings with
hollow gold ball drops, 2nd century AD. This type
of earring is available from as little as £375 for an
undamaged pair. Private collection.
ANTIQUES INFO - January/February 11