http://www.penn.museum/blog/museum/penn-museum-in-spain/attachment/photo-mar-21-8-04-53-am/

http://gizmodo.com/archaeologists-baffled-by-2-000-tiny-gold-spirals-disco-1717507894

if anyone wants to see some of my cut Opals let neo know and i will send along some images. while not ancient, depending on what type they can be from new or older deposits… many from eithiopia. but i have some very high grade ethiopian opals, black opals (australia), various jade (white fat jade, hotan pebbles, etc), rubies, and all kinds

i was thinking later in life i may pick up faceting, but now do cabachon..

the oldest stuff you will find will be cabachon as one can literally shape them with grit and your hand or a piece of leather (Takes a while though).

faceting didnt come till later, and is quite a bit harder, except today now they cheat and often use lasers to burn away material. however the best stuff is cut the old way. A hasidim friend of the family cuts diamond and we have a perpetuity deal for any we can get from indonesia (which has diamonds, rubies, a lot of sapphire, and more)

i would say its the second oldest business, otherwise what do you give the woman in the oldest profession… heh heh..

last week i did have a treat to check out some carved jade from china that was over 1000 years old and in general would blow the average persons mind away. reasonable prices to comparatively. some incredible cut bowls, inksets and more, including chops (seals for documents and art signing in jadeitte)

i do so many different thigns most people dont believe me… the idea is that you cant learn that or do all that (compared to their lives in which they barely do anything)

https://www.antiquitiesgiftshop.com/store/index.php

It happened — the vellum auction — even earlier.

Nix the 15th Century.

It’s not really jewelry but if you are ever in Venice go behind the alter of St. Mark’s and look (stare?) at the alter piece made in Constantinople in 900. It has to be the largest and most exquisite artwork in the world made of emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and pearls that surround countless enamel portraits of saints. It makes you wonder what Constantinople looked like before it was sacked by the Crusaders (led by the Venetians!) in 1201 and finally done in by the Turks in 1453.

&&&

No-one can imagine.

MOST of the palimpests that triggered the Renaissance came from that haul.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT’S why the Renaissance was the Renaissance.

What happened is the the looting was so pervasive that the Doge of Venice and his crew were auctioning off ancient parchment — in STACKS.

This was sold IN BULK to monasteries all across Europe.

THIS was how Grecco-Roman scribblings even became the substruct for palimpests.

The monasteries were merely looking for vellum on the cheap !!!

Many of these were purchased by monks that ran ‘non-profit’ Christian enterprises.

The moment they saw// read the ancient texts — hydro-power was rediscovered in Europe. Practically overnight ( late Fifteenth Century ) the brothers / friars were economic king pins — because of European hydro-power.

At all times prior, they had not the wit to realize that they could run engines on low-head water potential.

After the Black Death, such hydro-power made the wet north the economic powerhouse of Europe.

Even today, this connection is not made.

%%%

Where would Canada be without astoundingly cheap hydro-power?

Heh.

Ask Alcan.