Four Treasures Reference Database
Record No. 5968
Laboratory analysis of an extraordinary artifact: A sapphire tiara found during the excavations in Colonia (Rome)
Journal Article
Butini, E. and Butini, F. (2017) Laboratory analysis of an extraordinary artifact: A sapphire tiara found during the excavations in Colonia (Rome). Rivista Italiana di Gemmologia – Italian Gemological Review, No. 1, pp. 37–43.
RWHL*
Close Abstract
Hide Keywords
Copy Reference
gems, corundum, history.1
In 2011, in Colonna (a small town not far from Rome), the excavation for the foundations of a private building led to the discovery of a monumental tomb from the Roman era. The sarcophagus found inside the tomb contained the mummified remains of a woman and an astonishing golden tiara enriched by sapphires.