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)
7657	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Blue. 2 registers. Bangquet scene. Above: seated god holding food? in upright left hand. nest a second seated figure holding up left hand to greet a standing attendant. Third seated figure also holding food in upraised left hand, and standing figure also holding food? opposite. All are shaven and shorn and wear sheep skin dresses. Below: A seated figure holding up hand towards door of shrine? Behind him a second seated figure holding up food which has been handed him by standing attendant. Behind this seated god a standing attendant facing the door of the shrine hands upraised. All have heads shaven and shorn and sheep skin dresses like figures on top register. c. 3000BC.
7663	(none)	(none)	(none)	Flat seal. Sard, pale blue. Winged insect?
7664	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Blue. 2 registers. Top register: scene of worship. Goddess wearing high horned headdress leads votary by the hand towards seated god who wears flat headdress with horns. Botom: 3 swans swimming on water.
7666	(none)	(none)	(none)	3 complete carnelian beads. 2 fragments. One small lentoid, the rest large bugle beads slightly convex in the middle. One of the 3 complete beads broken and mended. Neo-Babylonian.
7693	(none)	(none)	(none)	String of beads. Gold, carnelian and lapis.
7893	(none)	(none)	(none)	String of beads. Lapis lazuli. Blue. 52 in number. Small ring beads, a few double conoid and 1 large ball bead.
7896	(none)	(none)	B16883	Cylinder seal. hematite. Black. Hero wearing conical cap and short garment which only falls to the knees, and carrying a bird? in his left hand approaches a standing deity wearing high headdress and flounced kaunakes skirt. Behind the hero, naked Ishtar.
7918	(none)	(none)	(none)	Bead. Agate. Lentoid.
7922	(none)	(none)	(none)	Weight Lentoid. hematite. Type II.
7924	(none)	(none)	(none)	Bead Crystal Cylindrical with truncated conical top. [drawing 1:1]
7927	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Crystal. Slightly concave. Marble? core within roughly 8mm in diameter. Inscribed. Conical copper cap on one end. Bearded hero with protruding hair locks, mounted on dragon and clutching it by the tail. The dragon faces a bull rampant, head upraised, mounted by bearded hero similar to first also holding hismount by the tail. Between a couchant gazelle.
7944	(none)	(none)	(none)	Necklace 93 lapis lazuli double conoid 11 carnelian ring beads 1 carnelian bugle bead 2 lots of silver ball beads in groups of 4 and 3
7945	(none)	(none)	B16808	Necklace. 6 lapis lazuli double conoids [drawing] (not to scale). 4 lapis double conoids -smaller type [drawing]. 6 carnelian double conoids. 2 carnelian ring beads.
7955	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. A tree, and 4 animals, 2 facing each way the central pair facing: rather poor engraving.
7956	(none)	(none)	B16856	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli: tall slender type broken in antiquity; mended. Two registers: above, 2 worshipers approaching a seated goddess with crescent. Below, 3 worshipers approaching a seated goddess with star; behind her a tree.
7958	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads of carnelian etc. From a bracelet. 2 carnelian, 4 jasper (blood stone), lentoid bugles, 4 silver ball beads, 1 gold plated copper ball bead (decayed).
7962	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads of lapis, carnelian and gold, and one agate. Double conoids of different sizes, and 2 large gold-plated ball beads. 34 gold beads in all. There was evidence that these formed a separate string, stone and metal beads strung alternately.
7985	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. 2 registers: above, seated goddess with attendant behind receives a worshipper and a seated god with attendant below receives a worshipper. Below: banquet scene; 2 seated figures drinking through tubes; attendant behind one, design like a hatched shield.
8006	(none)	(none)	B16889	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. 2 registers: above, 2 seated figures, table and door. Below, 2 animals? Very deep cutting and most primitive style.
8008	(none)	(none)	B16815	Lapis lazuli beads. A great number, all small, some minute. With lapis spacers for 3 parallel strings.
8010	(none)	(none)	B17667	Beads. Carnelian. Mostly minute ring beads. With them a few small balls etc.
8011A	(none)	(none)	B16811	Beads. Very large carnelians. Double conoids and one or two bugles. These were strung in 4 parallel strings [A-D] (one set made up with a similarly shaped gold bead) apparently with lapis balls between the carnelians, but this was not quite certain. [see also U.8017]
8012	(none)	(none)	B16811	Beads. 15 lapis ball beads of different sizes but all large: some are ribbed. Perhaps strung up with U.8011.
8019B	(none)	(none)	(none)	Two lapis eye sockets [A-B]. Intended to have shell iris set in (cf. one attached to U.8013)
8027	(none)	(none)	B17467	Copper pin. With ball head and lapis capped with silver. The shaft much decayed and broken into 5 pieces.