A Pair of Persian Garnets set as earrings, Achaemenid Empire, ca. 550 - 330 BCE
MJ2404
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An alluring pair of dark Persian blood red garnets, set as earrings with 14-karat yellow gold hoops with 32 round .0075-ct. white diamonds (I1 clarity/G, H color; .24CTW/pair).
Throughout history, garnets have held a place in ritual symbolism. It is said that garnet was one of the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, representing the tribe of Judah and that King Solomon wore garnet adornments when he went into battle. Noah chose a garnet to hang in the Ark, and it illuminated his way through the floods. Perhaps this Biblical reference made garnet the stone worn by travelers and soldiers to promise them a safe return home. But even before Biblical times, garnets were worn and treasured.
Garnet necklaces have been found in graves in Czechoslovakia dating back to the Bronze Age. Garnet stones have been buried with warriors and nobles in Ancient Egypt (3100 BCE), Sumeria (2100 BCE), and Sweden (2000 BCE). Plentiful throughout the world, and easily found just beneath the earth's crust, garnets were worn as jewelry among the Aztecs and Mayans, Native Americans, aboriginal Australians, and Asians. Garnets are also believed to have the power to staunch blood, offer protection and healing from poisons, and purify the liver. Since ancient times, people have believed that garnets can help spark mental acuity and clarity, lighten the mood and bring peace and solace to the grieving. Over the years, garnets have acquired the meaning of fidelity, loyalty, and love.
Medium: Garnet, gold, diamonds
Dimensions: Bead drop length: 1.3 cm (0.5 inch).
Condition: The beads are intact and in excellent condition overall. They have been mounted as earrings on modern 14K gold and diamond hoops.
Provenance: Private collection of Llewellyn Phillips, a physician who assembled his collection during the early 20th century. He held a number of positions while stationed in Egypt, including a professor of Medicine at the Egyptian Government School of Medicine, Cairo. Phillips was appointed the Hon. Commander of the British Red Cross Hospital in Giza during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. Part of his collection was sold at Christie's in 1992/93.
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