gems, ancient gemology, early gemology, ancient mineralogy, early trade, ancient history, lapis lazuli, China, Rome

Ferguson examines contacts between China and the Roman world, bringing together classical and Chinese evidence for knowledge of one another and for the movement of goods across the long-distance trade routes linking the Mediterranean, Central Asia, India, and China. He discusses geographical knowledge, diplomatic contacts, and commerce, including the transmission of luxury commodities, and considers the limitations of the literary evidence for direct Sino-Roman relations. The study is relevant to the history of the gemstone and luxury trade because it places precious materials within the broader exchange of high-value goods between East and West during the Roman period.