Gold and Emerald Necklace from Dendera in Egypt: 3rd century AD
The collar of the necklace is of thick spiral wire. The rectangular attachment hanging from the collar is decorated with a mounted convex emerald. The frame around the stone is ornamented with openwork.
In the 3rd century AD, a decisive break was made with the taste of the late Greek and early Roman past. From this time, preference was given to uncut gemstones in place of gems carved with a picture or design (like the Roman carved gem from Wilcote in Oxfordshire, England) and to openwork instead of more simple forms of goldwork.
