CIRCA 2ND CENTURY B.C. - EARLY 1ST CENTURY A.D.

According to Boardman and Wagner (p. 113 in Masterpieces in Miniature, Engraved Gems from Prehistory to the Present), "These green/blue/white striped glass ringstones were made to resemble layered quartzes, which occur naturally, but in a more colorful way than nature ever could produce." They were cast from stone gems of relatively high quality and were mold-made of fused slices of colored glass. Upon removal from the mold, the excess was cut away from the edges, although, as seen on some of the ringstones in the present group, some still retain this excess and may represent workshop wasters. There are two distinct groups: those with the white only in the top layer and those where the white extends through to the back, suggesting two distinct workshops. Both types are represented in the present lot.