Semi-precious

The term “semi precious” is applied to a subset gemstones, and the term was created to set them apart from what are considered precious stones (diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds). Things like amber and lapis lazuli, which are not really stones at all are still considered “semi precious” by most people. This distinction reflects the rarity of the respective stones in ancient times, as well as their quality. all are translucent with fine color in their purest forms and very hard. This distinction is not related to their monetary value, i.e. some forms of garnet are more expensive than emeralds.

Objects: Semi-precious Export: JSON - XML - CSV

U Number	Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number)	Museum Number (BM Registration Number)	Museum Number (UPM B-number)	Description (Catalog Card)
8119	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. 2 registers. Above: 2 seated deities in sheep skin skirts facing one another. One arm upraised. A standing figure between facing one of them. Beyond; the gate of a shrine? thus - [drawing]. Below: 3 seated deities wearing sheep skin skirts. 2 behind one another. A third opposite. Between them a palm? rising from a high bowl with a pedestal thus - [drawing]. One deity strikes it with a sword? the other holds a branch with his hand.
8127	(none)	(none)	B16795	Necklace. 158 lapis lazuli double conoids. 51 gold double conoids. 1 double conoid facetted gold bead. [drawing] not to scale. Beads apparently strung in the following order. 3 small lapis. 1 large lapis. 3 small lapis. 2 gold beads. 3 small lapis. 1 large lapis. 3 small lapis. 2 gold beads.
8130	(none)	(none)	(none)	String of beads. 23 lapis lazuli. Small double conoids, ribbed barrel beads and bugle beads. 3 Carnelian ring beads.
8137	(none)	(none)	(none)	Necklace. 90 lapis lazuli beads. Double conoids. Ball beads and a few lentoids.
8147	(none)	1928,1009.129	(none)	Necklace. 90 carnelian ring beads. 7 hematite ring beads. 12 silver beads, double conoids - 1 poppy head? lentoids and bugle beads.
8152	(none)	(none)	(none)	Copper pin with lapis ball head. [Type] V
8154	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Lapis (& a few carnelian) from 2 parallel strings worn round the neck: see tomb notes.
8159	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Small lapis balls etc.
8162	(none)	(none)	(none)	Silver pin with fluted ball head of lapis. Capped with gold. There is a hole through the top end of the shaft and affixed against one end of the hole is a small carnelian ring bead. It looks as if a string had been passed through the hole with a head at the end of it to prevent its slipping out; in that case, the pin must have acted as a true toggle. [Type] V.
8164	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Lapis, carnelian and silver. About 180 in all. The lapis and carnelian are double conoids: some of the silver are the same, some are treble ball heads and some are imitation shells. Strung, silver lapis carnelian lapis silver.
8168	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Small lapis and gold: found together and forming one string.
8169	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. 2 balls facing each other: between them a mountain wherein trees(?). Behind them in the air an object [drawing: symbols on seal] with a bird on it. Very fine cutting.
8171	(none)	(none)	(none)	Copper pin with lapis ball head. The set of beads, U.8172, were found mostly fastened on to the pin by oxidation, laying all along the shaft from near the head: they might have been originally fastened to it if the shaft is pierced - but no hole is now visible. [Type] V.
8172	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. 7 carnelian, 6 lapis, and gold (4). The gold are seed-pods thus [drawing 1:1]. The carnelian similar but with no central rib, the lapis flat and rectangular and 2 bugles (this last may not belong to this string) : for order of threading see field notes. Found affixed to U.8171. The gold beads have a wooden tube down the middle, 2 leaves of gold being soldered (or cemented) together on either side of this: the string went through the wood.
8177A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. A: Carnelian lentoids. B: Small lapis balls with the carnelians is one longer with artificial white bands. For stringing see field notes.
8178	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Three, two of lapis, one of gold. Faceted lentoids of exaggerated size. Found together. [drawing] 1:1
8191	(none)	(none)	B17194	Shell. Cut as a ladle: a piece is left across the opening and this is carved into a bird's head, the eye inlaid with lapis. [drawing]
8201	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Lapis and silver with a few carnelian and some small glazed frit rings.
8210	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Large balls of lapis. See field notes: almost certainly strung together with no silver beads between. They seem to be connected with the silver flower ornament (U.8212) and perhaps formed a chaplet round the head from which the flowers rose.
8211	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. A large number of lapis and carnelian beads, now all mixed together, but originally forming a number of separate strings for which see field notes.
8212	(none)	(none)	B16790	Flower head ornament in silver, lapis and gold. The whole flower is silver, a flat truncated plate of thin metal on a fairly solid stem: on the end of each of the five petals is a ball of lapis capped with gold. Two lapis beads are corroded on to the end of the stem and may belong there (see U.8210). There was certainly a second similar flower on the other side of the head (this one rose from the right ear) but it was all broken up.
8214	(none)	(none)	B16704	Silver suspenders. A plain ring of silver wire from which hangs a spacer for 3 strings of beads: they appeared to hang from the head this way up, but two were found corroded together in opposite directions. [drawing 1:1]
8224.1	(none)	(none)	B16809	[.1-.2] Beads. Lapis and carnelian, mixed small types, ball, lentoid and bugle, and a few ribbed ball beads of gold.
8226A	(none)	(none)	B16730	[A] Silver pin with plain ball head of lapis capped with gold. The shaft is pierced just below the head: [B] the 7 beads found just by it may have been fixed to the pin by this hole. The beads are catalogued with the pin. See field notes. [Type] V
8228	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Gilgamesh between 2 lions and Eabani with a bull.