Ancient Roman Glass & Sassanian Stone Bead Necklace

Our new collection The Ancients debuts one-of-a-kind necklaces created from our horde of ancient Roman, Sassanian, and Byzantine beads and artifacts, thoughtfully mixed with uniquely beautiful glass trade beads from the 17th through 19th centuries.

I feel a thrilled sense of awe to hold something in my hand that was worn 2,000 years ago; the textures of age and the contemplation of how much of human history has passed between the moment of its creation and the delicate weight of it now in my hands.

This particular necklace showcases ancient Roman glass (circa 100-300 AD) and Sassanian stone (circa 200-700 AD) mixed with 18th century Dutch glass trade beads, strung on silk cord finished with granulated gold caps and a shepard's hook clasp. Many of the Roman beads show the incredible iridescent effect these pieces develop after a thousand or more years of burial in the right conditions.

Details: Measuring approximately 20 1/4" long. The beads range in width from approximately 6 mm to the largest green glass bead at 17 mm. The contemporary shepard's hook clasp and granulated caps are 22k.

Info: When glass is buried in slightly acidic soil over a thousand or more years, the weathering process can create a wonderful iridescent layer due to a chemical reaction caused by the leaching of soluble salts from the glass itself. The depth and spectral color change of this layer also depends on the various levels of heat, and humidity the glass is subjected to over the millenia, as well as the chemistry of the glass, in the purity of raw materials and their compositional ratio. 

Please note: this iridescent layer will withstand normal wear but please avoid any type of scrubbing or intensive washing of the surfaces. The beads should be appreciated as they are and will not need to be cleaned.