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Make Your Mark: Ancient Jewelry
Engraved gems—small stones cut in intaglio for use as seals—were used in Classical lands from the Bronze Age to the Roman Period and beyond. Used to make a unique, personal signature, the breadth of these beautiful gems is explored in this selection from the sale.

Minoan Color
The December sale includes a Swiss private collection of Bronze Age gems, the largest assemblage to appear on the market since the famed Erlenmeyer Collection at Christie’s London in 1989. Two examples illustrated here portray the striking colors that appealed to their ancient owners. One is a lentoid (lens-shaped) seal of green jasper engraved with a flying fish. The motif was frequently depicted in Minoan art, which often used ornamentation inspired by nature. The other is an amygdaloid (almond-shaped) seal in carnelian engraved with a cuttlefish. The creature is stylized but instantly recognizable. Gems with similar depictions are known from several ancient sites including Knossos and other Minoan cities on Crete.

The Human Figure
These two gems, both of carnelian, reveal the ancient fascination with the human form. One is Greco-Persian from the late 5th-4th century BC, likely the work of a Greek artist for an Achemenid Persian customer. The upper portion of the stone is sculptured in the form of a reclining lion, while the underside is engraved with the standing figure of a Persian woman, whose robes reveal the voluptuous form of her body beneath. The other is an Etruscan scarab of similar date. The scarab beetle was ultimately of Egyptian origin, first adopted by the Phoenicians, and later by the Greeks and Etruscans. Although the scarab had mythological associations for the Egyptians, the form seems to have had no particular significance in the Classical world. The underside of this gem is engraved with a nude youth, perhaps the Argonaut Peleus, washing his hair at a basin, his musculature carefully defined.

Roman Symbol of Resurrection
The early Christians adopted symbols from their Jewish counterparts and the Hebrew Bible. This 2nd century pagan ringstone of a parrot was Christianized in the 3rd century with the addition of the inscription. The Christian wearer likely interpreted the subject as Noah’s Dove, a symbol of resurrection.

Roman Carnelian
Judging by the number of stones that survive from throughout the Roman Empire, the use of intaglios increased dramatically in the Roman Period, starting in the late Republic. Most were set in rings of gold, silver or bronze. This example of a carnelian intaglio is engraved with a krater, the body of which is composed of a triple head while the voluted handles are in the form of mice sitting on the rim.

Personality piece
There are other ways than seals to make your mark; find jewelry that perfectly suits your personality and you’ll be making a statement. Whether it’s something you adore, that has your stamp of approval or whether it symbolizes something specifically important to you, jewelry can speak volumes. This Roman chalcedony cameo in a modern gold pendant features the image of Medusa, the petrifying mythological monster. A powerful figure, Medusa offered protection to the wearer. A Western Asiatic chalcedony bead necklace—interspersed with modern gold beads, the grayish-blue, translucent chalcedony creates a timeless elegance that will attract the sophisticated eye.