Please note: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid. Necklace with Roman purple glass beads. The necklace is in an asymmetrical design with pendant and wire-wrapped beads. The purple colours range from very dark purple to beautiful semi-translucent amethyst tones. The wire wrapping technique dates back from ca. 2000 BC and was a favourite technique of jewellery makers of ancient civilizations. In Roman society purple was a very desirable colour and a status symbol of the elite. Total length: ± 49 cm Length pendant: ± 41 mm Diameter beads: ± 10 mm maximum Condition: good condition and wearable. The ancient beads are restrung and combined with modern gold-plated spacer beads and fittings. Signs of wear consistent with age and use. See images. Composed with beads originating from various old collections, acquired in the UK between 2016-2024. Every ancient bead shows subtle variations and signs of age, reflecting its history and adding to the unique charm of every composition. Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request. ANCIENT GLASS Glass has always been found in nature, but the humans first created glass about 4.000 years ago. when ancient craftsmen in Mesopotamia discovered the art of mixing sand, soda and lime to make glass. For centuries, glass was a luxury item and reserved for the upper classes. Glassmaking centers around the Mediterranean world experimented with new techniques (casting, core-forming, mosaic glass) and with colours by adding metallic oxides (cobalt, copper, etc) to the mixture. The Romans learned the glass-making craft after the conquest of Egypt in the 1st century BC. During the 1st century AD the glassblowing technique revolutionized the production and made it possible to produce larger quantities. By adding manganese dioxide Roman glassmakers successfully produced colourless or ‘aqua’ glass for the first time. Roman glass became a very popular material, used for beads, glass windows, mosaic tiles, tableware pieces etc. Roman glass was traded all over the Roman Empire and far beyond to Central Africa, Scandinavia and via the Silk Route to China.