3rd century AD. A pair of gold earrings, each composed of a hook terminating in a gold plate with claws which clasp a polygonal emerald crystal. See Marshall, F.H., Catalogue of the Jewellery Greek, Etruscan & Roman in the Departments of Antiquities British Museum, Oxford, 1969, no.2638, for a comparative example of similarly earrings. 3.37 grams total, 18-21mm (3/4 - 1"). Property of a gentleman from Vienna; from his private collection formed since 1970. While gold was the most highly valued metal, emeralds were one of the most valued stones in antiquity. They were prized not only for their rich green colour and connections to fertility, but also for their perceived healing properties. According to Pliny the Elder, Roman jewellers would often sooth their strained eyes by looking at or through emeralds while they worked. [2] For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price