Characterization and provenance of ancient gemstones: Case study of a gold-and-sapphire jewel dating from the Roman imperial period and found in a tomb in Colonna, Italy

Enrico Butini, Flavio Butini, Micaela Angle, Pamela Cerino, Andrea De Angelis, Noemi Tomei, Flavio Altamura

Abstract

In 2011, an extraordinary piece of gold jewelry set with precious stones was found in a woman's tomb discovered not far from Rome and dating from the third century AD. Our examination and archaeometric analyses enabled us to identify the technique used to make the jewel and to characterize the nature and provenance of the gemstones. The analyses showed that all the stones were natural sapphires. Their inclusions and gemmological features indicate that they came from southern and southeastern Asia, thus gaining insights about trade routes and the luxury-goods market during the Roman imperial period.

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IMEKO TC

TC4 - Measurement of Electrical Quantities

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