Timeless Treasures

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past is present

It is not only the warm patina of the gold or the luster of the stones that draw collectors to ancient jewelry, but the aura of history that these unique pieces bear.

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If there is cachet to wearing antique or vintage jewelry, imagine accessorizing with a necklace, ring or brooch that is thousands of years old. The eternal appeal of ancient adornments—ranging from Near Eastern examples from the 14th century B.C. to 7th century Byzantine creations—has made them a source of inspiration for couture jewelers, most famously the Castellani family in the 19th century and Bulgari in the 20th. But even during the Renaissance, when excavations of Roman and Greek artifacts led to the revival of Classical styles, jewelers couldn’t make things like their predecessors.

Using limited tools and without magnification, ancient jewelers handcrafted some of the most intricate objects ever produced. “You don’t get this level of workmanship from modern jewelry, which is priced much higher,” says Joseph Coplin, the co-owner of Antiquarium Fine Ancient Arts, in New York, which recently published the sixth in its series of Ancient Treasures catalogues, in conjunction with its annual winter exhibition. Coplin’s inventory of more than 1,000 pieces includes a dazzling 2nd- to 1st-century B.C. Hellenistic gold necklace and matching amphora earrings set with garnets, banded agates, emeralds, pearls and carnelians, valued at several hundred thousand dollars.

The Basel dealer Jean-David Cahn, who always dedicates a showcase to jewelry in his booth at TEFAF Maastricht in March, agrees with Coplin’s assessment. “When you see a woman wearing Greek earrings or a Roman necklace, you realize something is different,” he says. “The colors are warmer, and the slight imperfections make it very attractive.”

As more people have discovered this material over the past decade, prices have risen steadily, yet it remains surprisingly accessible. “There’s no question that this market is still undervalued,” says the London collector and private dealer Derek Content, who adds that “truly major objects” can be had for less than $100,000. Selim Dere, the owner of Fortuna Fine Arts, in New York, puts the mark even lower. “You find a lot of nice, wearable jewelry for between $1,000 and $5,000,” he notes, “and beautiful things for $10,000 to $20,000.” In its current exhibition, on view through February 28, his gallery is featuring a pair of Greek 3rd- to 2nd-century B.C. gold and garnet sphinx earrings priced at $18,000.

Whether worn or just collected, ancient jewelry offers a window on ancient history. The abundant natural motifs and portraits of gods, philosophers and emperors provide insight into cultural icons and values, while the materials employed reflect not only evolving tastes but also conquests and commerce. For example, Greek jewelry, which had been predominantly gold, became much more colorful after Alexander the Great opened trade routes with India that brought semiprecious stones into the Western market. Centuries before that, the crosscurrents of the world’s nascent religions left their mark in the overlapping iconography and techniques of the earliest Near Eastern pieces, such as those displayed in “Masterpieces of Ancient Jewelry,” an exhibition at the Forbes Galleries, in New York, through the end of this month (after which it can be seen at the Field Museum, in Chicago, February 13 through July 5, 2009).

Among ancient jewels that have come down to us today, 22- to 24-carat gold—a sign of prestige in antiquity—is the most common material, probably because it is almost indestructible, unlike silver and bronze, which oxidize over time. Pieces were often set with a variety of stones, glass and semiprecious gems; precious ones are less common, with pearls and diamonds especially rare. And since the ancients had no real stone-faceting technology, their gems lack much of the brilliance of today’s pieces. The absence of bling, however, is more than compensated for by the ancients’ sophisticated gold work and detailed stone engraving, as well as the vivid color sense that is particularly evident in Egyptian and Hellenistic examples.