Attention: 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. Handmade bracelet and matching earrings set incorporating Roman purple and yellow glass beads. The authentic ancient beads have been carefully restrung with modern materials and metal spacer beads in a flexible, clasp-free bracelet design for comfortable wear. The earrings feature double pendant drops suspended from decorative hoop fittings with knop terminals and butterfly backs. The glass beads display natural weathering and surface patination consistent with age, while the contemporary mountings allow the pieces to be worn safely without compromising their historical character. Bracelet: Diameter: ± 52 - 65 mm Diameter beads: ± 8,8 mm maximum Earrings: Length: ± 43 mm Diameter beads: ± 8,8 mm maximum In Roman society, purple symbolized status, wealth, and authority due to its rarity and expensive production. Sumptuary laws restricted its use to the elite. 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. Please note: photographed in a professional studio against a black background. Studio lighting and individual screen settings may slightly affect the appearance of colours. Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher. 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.