gems, ancient gemology, early gemology, ancient mineralogy, glyptic, color science

The subject of colour aesthetics in ancient gems and jewellery has received little scholarly attention. Discussions of gold and silver in jewellery and finger-rings have tended to focus more on technique and relative value than on aesthetic considerations, aside from obvious art-historical issues. While colour contrasts between metals are noted, they are rarely examined in depth and seldom intentionally exploited in Archaic and Classical Greek art, with only slightly more attention in later periods. It is primarily from the fourth century BC onward that the colour contrast introduced by precious stones—used as beads or inlay—becomes significant. Earlier, isolated orientalising practices in the Greek world, such as the use of colourless rock crystal or amber as inlay, had no immediate continuation. This paper offers a summary consideration of questions raised by the physical appearance—rather than the intrinsic or relative value—of gold and silver in Greek antiquity, and examines evidence for possible colour selection in Mediterranean glyptics from the sixth to fourth centuries BC.