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 necklace and matching earrings with Roman blue and turquoise glass beads. The necklace is in a classic linked design and finished with jasseron chain. The ancient beads are restrung with modern materials and fittings. Linking chains to craft jewellery is one of the earliest known jewellery-making techniques, appearing across various ancient cultures. The oldest known example of a chain necklace was discovered in a royal tomb in Babylonia, dating back to around 2500 BC. Necklace: Total length: ± 50 cm Diameter beads: ± 11,7 mm maximum (rare large size) Earrings: Total length: ± 36,6 mm Diameter beads: ± 7,7 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. 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.