AN277,   There are three strands of ancient Egyptian faience here.  They are all poorly strung (#3 is on fishing line) and would be much happier strung onto a cotton or silk thread with a clasp more typical of their age.  Strand #1 has little glass beads in dark gold yellow hues strung along with the faience.  There are 18 inches of delicate beads.  $135.US.   Strand #2 is 22 inches long and has a patterned bead/stamp hanging on the bottom.  It has a floral design on one side and something that would work as a "signature" on the other.   $155.US.   Strand #3 is 16 inches long and has 3 fat faience (1/2 inch in diameter) beads (2 formed slightly into melon shapes) at the bottom.   $120.US. (#2 is available)
   AN308.   is a strand of Hebron beads, made in the deserts in the Israeli area.  They are a few hundred years old so technically not "ancient" ("ancient" generally means 1000+ years old).  There is 22 inches of beads on the strand with the largest measuring 1 inch in diameter.  A great colour.   $150.US.   (sold)
   AN311.   There are two strands of ancient faience beads here - with the beads on the strand measuring about 20 inches around plus pendants.  These beads are in excellent condition and show a large variety of styles from the same period.  You can see a few similar ones on pages 104 and 105 of "Collectible Beads".  Robert Liu places them as originating in Iran.  They are hand formed in various shapes and then cut with a knife like tool to create patterns.  Ones in this condition are becoming more and more rare.  - $500.US/each    (#1 is available)
   AN312.   There are 22 inches of beads on this strand - the larger carved ones being shell, and the background beads being glass.  The shell beads are ancient, and the glass beads are from the last 100 years or so.  I love looking at the individuality of each bead.  The patterns had spiritual meaning so it is a good thing that they still exist.  The strand has a cotton string holding the beads so can be worn as is, or they can be restrung to have a clasp.  The entire strand with string included is 30 inches long.  $600.US.
   AN314.   What a great collection of shapes and creatures.  They are made from stone, metal and glass.  All of the objects are ancient crossing a few cultures including Byzantine, Islamic, and Roman.  It would be interesting to research and place the origin of as many items as possible.  The white background beads are less than 100 years old.  The beads cover over 20 inches of the strand and the central stone pendant is 1 3/8 inches long.      $600.US.
   AN320.   $115.US/each strand.    (#1 is available)
   AN321.   $105.US/each strand.    (#3 & #6 are available) 
   AN334.   I bought a collection of beads in the nineties - collected in medicine boxes from Chicago - the boxes being well over 50 years old with medical instructions written inside.  The beads of course, are much older.  The label on the box describes them as "grey stone small beads".  There are two strands of beads.  One is 5 inches long and the other is 11 1/2 inches long.  I have the feeling that these beads were acquired on travels back in the late forties or early fifties.  It makes the most sense to me according to how they are packed and labelled.   $145.US. 
   AN336.  This ancient Roman ring is about a size 4 but not really for wearing.  It has a tiny carved seal within it - a profile portrait against clear glass.  It is amazingly small about 5/16 inch long.  This is an amazing piece for a collection.  I haven't done anything to try to clean the ring itself but it seems to be bronze.  $195.US.
   AN337.   There are three different and interesting strands of ancient carnelian beads here.  Strand #1 has 13 inches of a variety of shapes and ages of ancient carnelians as well as a fat bead which is 1 3/8 inches across at its widest.  It is a gorgeous worn ancient bead with clouds of white coating on it formed from years of burial.  That bead can easily be over 2000 years old.  It is a very impressive strand which only needs a few spacer beads or beads at the back to make a necklace.  $425.US.   The next strand of beads #2 - are Bactrian.  There are the typical disc beads, and round beads with the strand measuring a little over 10 inches long.  The central bead is the type that would be carved at the end and used as a seal.  This one is smooth and 3/4 inch tall.  $310.US.   Strand #3 consists of fine, delicate, tubular ancient carnelians with a few odd shapes thrown in - almost 20 inches long.  $250.US.  The strands all came from the mid-East from a Persian dealer. 
   AN338.   Here is a beautiful oval flattened Islamic beads.  The swirls of black and white are quite traditional, made with a fine glass and nicely smoothed over time.  From the side as shown in the photo above the bead is almost 3/4 inches tall and 7/8 inch wide.  The bead is 3/8 inch thick with a good sized hole going through it  - it could sit on a cord.   I acquired this from a Persian dealer who generally sells coins from the area.   $155.US.  
   AN339.   This patitinated brass bead was dug up in Bulgaria.  There is still a little dirt inside.   The bead is 1 inch long and 1/2 inch in diameter.  It has an attractive smooth finish to it and could be the centerpiece of a simple necklace or strung onto a cord.  The bead is definitely over 1000 years old but I can't date it any more accurately than that.   $45.US.
   AN341.  This Islamic bead from the Iran area is recently excavated.  It is not fully cleaned as you can see on the photo.  The local museum glass curator suggests that dirt be carefully brushed off but that ancient beads should not be washed.  The bead has clear white raised trails on it and the dark base of the bead has some glistening colour from age peeking through.  The bead is slightly longer than 7/8 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter.  It is a good clear example.   $195.US.
   AN342.   This fat holed faience bead is 7/8 inch across and 3/8 inch tall.  It is from the Persia/Iran area.   $35.US.

   AN351.   This is a silver Venetian grosso of the Doge Giovanni Dandalo.  AD1280-1289.  On the obverse is Christ enthroned and on the reverse is the Doge and St. Mark Papadopoli.   $50.US.  
   AN356.   This strand of ancient glass beads is 16 inches in length.  It came from Afghanistan.  There is a nice variety of beads on the strand and a rectangular central stone Muslim bead with circles carved into it.  $105.US.   (sold)
   AN358.   This 15 inch long necklace is a combination of different ancient and antique beads with modern silver spacers.  There are some interesting beads to spend time with...   $220.US.
   AN359.   Here is a modern strand of facet tourmaline beads with an ancient Medeival pendant.  It is made of bronze, has a coating of patina from the long years of its life and an ancient glass cabochon in the middle.  The pendant is 1 1/2 inches wide.  The necklace is 16 inches long.   $185.US.
  AN360.   Here is a marvellous strand of beads from the Iran or the area nearby.  The necklace is 22 inches long (no clasp, just knotted shut) with 15 1/2 inches of beads on it plus pendant.  The pendant is 1 1/4 inches long.  The necklace beads are mostly ancient turquoise with one small etched agate and four small beads that appear to be gold.  There are two small winged beads as well.  The pendant has a gorgeous skinny agate just under 7/8 inch long, then a slim flat square of nicely coloured agate, and then a wrought metal bead which I am told has a percentage of gold in it.  The metals have not been tested but are certainly ancient beads.  This is quite delicate and beautiful.  $420.US.

  AN361.   This is a beautifully made silver ring with an ancient coin as its centerpiece.  The coin is of Constantius II, Flavius Iulius Constantius minted in the 4th century A.D.  He was the second of the three sons of Constantine the Great.  Constantius eventually met and crushed Magnentius in the Battle of Mursa Major, one of the bloodiest battles in Roman History.  The ring is 1 1/8 inch across from top to bottom in the image, and the coin is just under 5/8 inch across.  The ring is a size 8.   $75.US.
  AN362.  

  AN366.   This is a simple and attractive silver ring with an ancient coin as its centerpiece.  The coin is of Constantine the Great - Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus from 306-337 A.D.   Constantine was best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor.  In 324 Constantine announced his decision to transform Byzantium into Nova Roma and on May 11, 330 he officially proclaimed the city the new capital of the Roman Empire.  The city was renamed Constantinople, the City of Constantine after Constantine's death in 337.  It would remain the capital of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years.  The coin is about 13/16 inch across and a size 9.5.   $105.US.
  AN367.  

  AN368.  

  AN369.  

  AN370.  

  AN371.  

  AN372.  

  AN373.   This is a little bronze piece that comes from the Roman Empire.  I have no idea what it was made to be used as, but it would make a great pendant.  It was buried with a thick crust on it from long time but is now cleaned off.  There is a hole that goes through the tubular part.   This is just over 1 inch tall - $35.US.  
  AN374.   Here is a wonderful ancient fibula set with a blue glass stone.  It comes from the Viking material found in Staraya Ladoga in Russia, in the Saint Petersburg region.  It is strong enough to be used as a fibula but I would be careful not wanting it to bang against anything as there is a certain delicacy to items so old.  The blue glass is set in very well with some decorative metal work around it.  The piece is 2 3/8 inches across and the pin is 2 3/4 inches across.   $225.US.  
  AN375.   This cast bronze piece is a fibula or cloak pin from Staraya Ladoga in Russia, in the Saint Petersburg region.  This was brought there by the Scandinavian Vikings around the end of the 9th century.  It is 2 1/2 inches tall and would make a great pendant.   $110.US.   (sold)
  AN376.   This is quite a small silver pendant with an ancient Roman bronze coin as the centerpiece.   This coin has not been identified but was made between 27 B.C. and 476 A.D.  One would have to search through the coin books to find one that is similar.  From the time of Augustus to the Fall of the Western Empire Rome's dominion covered all of the following:  England and Wales; most of Europe; coastal northern Africa, together with the adjacent province of Egypt; the Balkans, the Black Sea, and Asia Minor; and also much of the Middle East.  The coinage was minted throughout these regions.  This coin is about 1/2 inch across.   From the top of the pendant to the bottom of the coin it is 1 1/4 inches.   $50.US.   (sold)
  AN377.   This silver pendant has the bronze coin of Probus - Marcus Aurelius Probus (the coin was minted between 276 - 282 A.D.) - as a centerpiece.  At an early age he entered the army.  He was appointed governor of the East by Tacitus at whose death he was immediately proclaimed his successor by the soldiers.  The reign of Probus was mainly spent in successful wars by which here-established the security of all the frontiers.  The most important of these operations were directed to clearing Gaul of German invaders, allowing Probus to adopt the titles of Gothicus Maximus and Germanicus Maximus.  The coin is 7/8 inch across.  From the top of the pendant to the bottom of the coin it is 1 3/8 inches.   $130.US.
   AN378.   This silver pendant has a bronze coin of the Winged Victory as a centerpiece.  In Roman mythology Victoria was the personification/Goddess of Victory.  She is the Roman version of the Greek goddess Nike.  Unlike the Greek Nike, Victoria was a major part of Roman society.  Multiple temples were erected in her honour and a vast cult existed for hundreds of years worshipping her.  When her statue was removed in 382 C.E. by emperor Gratianus there was much anger in Rome.  She was often worshipped by triumphant generals returning from war.  The coin is 3/4 inch across and the entire piece from top of pendant to bottom of coin is 1 5/16 inches tall.   $70.US.  
  AN379.   These are the only two strands of Afghani crystal beads that I came across this year.  Strand #1 is 18 inches long with a 1 1/3 inch long pendant.   $210.US.   Strand #2 is 15 inches long (needs to be restrung as it was made much too tight) with a pendant.   $125.US.   (both sold)  
  AN380.   Here is a very sweet 1 3/4 inch long chung zi bead (also known as a dzi or gzi bead).   For an excellent and affordable article on Tibetan Zi beads written by the researcher Jamey D. Allen please get a copy of "Arts of Asia" Vol.32 No.4.  There are some excellent photographs of an interesting variety of zi beads as well as Jamey's overview.  These beads are thought to have a magical aspect to them.  It is a mystery as to how they were created and as to whether they fell from skies or were unearthed between the rocks.  Good zis are ancient and made of agate like this one.  These beads are highly respected by the Tibetans (and by zi collectors alike) and are worn as a protective ornament.  These beads were "etched" or coloured to give them their decoration.  There are more complex ones with different names having zig zags or or circles on them.  Myself, I love the chung zis with their simple bands on them.  This bead has a couple of old chips in it that you can see on the photo.  They are nicely worn and simply part of the life of the beads.   $800.US.
  AN381.   Here is an unusual strand of cone shaped ancient glass beads.  I haven't had beads like this before - they have quite large holes, generally between 1/8 and 1/4 inch across.  The yellow cone in the preview image on the left has a diameter of just under 1 inch and is 3/8 inch tall.  The strand is 18 inches long.  The pinkish smooth bead is stone, and most of the spacers are ancient as well.  These beads would be Roman period or older.  They show the textured finish of ancient glass that had been buried.   $550.US.
  AN382.   There are 22 inches of antique banded agate beads here, coming from the mid East.  I don't have the confidence to put firm dates on these beads but I bought them from a very reliable dealer and they are definitely old - I just can't say how old - there are many discussions on how to determine the age.  Most of the beads have nice wear on them and the holes are clear and go straight through.  The largest bead is 5/8 inch across in diameter, and the smallest is just under 1/4 inch across.  These are ready to string into a necklace or necklace plus bracelet, mixed with silver beads, or whatever you imagine.   $950.US.   (sold)  
  AN384.   Here are three stone spindle whorls carved in ancient times found in Anatolia.  The largest one is 1 1/8 inches across.  They can easily be used as beads.  The three beads are part of a collection and will be sold together for $225.US.
  AN385.   This is a group of ten Neolithic stone beads similar to the ones in the inside cover of "the History of Beads" coming out of Anatolia.  They are thousands of years old.  The group of ten beads is being sold as a collection - it was acquired in the early nineties with the help of ancient coin dealers.  Each bead is significantly different from each other so quite museum like when viewed.  The largest bead is a flat oval one 1 1/2 inches long and 7/8 inches wide.  Some of the beads have patterning on them and the very smallest is a seal bead with a branch like design on it.  These feel very smoothed having been touched for many years before they wound up being buried.  There are even wear marks on the stone bead holes.   $1200.US/the collection.
  AN386.   These two Celtic beads are sold together.  The image is enlarged - the beads are actually just over 3/8 inch across and one is a little thicker than the other, both having a single hole going through.  The beads have the typical circle patterns on them (on both sides) and are made of bronze.  They each have a different shade of green tarnish to them.   They could easily be used to make a pair of earrings.  It is hard to date them but a few hundred years is certain.   $120.US/pair
  AN387.   This is an ancient pale carnelian Neo-Assyrian cylinder seal.  It portrays Ishtar, the sun goddess, in her starry radiance--standing surrounded by a nimbus of stars and wearing a horned miter.  Her long robe is open in front revealing a short, bordered garment.  A worshipper in a long fringed garment points to the goddess with his right hand and holds his left palm upward.  Behind the goddess is a naked scorpion man wearing a miter.  His hands are raised up, possibly to support the winged disc (symbol of the sun) above him.  In the field are a crescent and eight globes. The scorpion man (of the constellation Scorpio), in supporting the winged disc, illustrates his super human and protective nature.  The worshipper may be a Neo-Assyrian king of the 9th or 8th century B.C., the period when this drilled style was favoured in Assyria.  This seal was worn strung around the neck as a bead. 1 1/16" long.    $1100.US
  AN388.   This is a small rectangular seal bead, and I do mean "small".  It is 7/16 inches long, 3/8 inch wide and 5/16 inches tall.  It is lightly crusted with a patination, and age has made the patterns look quite vague.  I believe that the larger images are figures of people judging by the moulded image, but I don't know.   $65.US.
  AN389.   These two strands of beads were put together by the same bead artist with beads that all look excellent together.  (unfortunately they are on fishing line and need restringing with nice clasps as well)  I did not want to separate them and will only sell them as a pair.  The central bead of the top strand is a "morfia" made between the 9th and 11th centuries possibly in Fustat, Egypt (5/8 inch long - 15mm - and 5/8 inch in diameter).  The beads were made of twisted polychrome glass rods.  These beads are highly prized in Mauritania constantly increasing in value.  The bead has 4 pitted holes on it - you can see two in the image to the left.  The other two are quite small - and even including that, this bead is in much better condition than many.  On that same strand are feather beads, then two yellow Islamic eye beads. They are in excellent condition, one being very colourful with red and turquoise "suns".  The next major beads are green oval Venetians with gold stripes and squiggles on them.  They are lightly worn so that the gold has faded a little.  After that is a range of Venetians in mixed condition, with gold/glass beads between, some ancient and some a hundred or so years old.  The green cornerless cubes are rather nice as well.  The back beads on the strand are ancient faience from Egypt.   On the lower strand is another oval Venetian with gold (13/16 inch long), millefiores from the twenties or so, spotted Venetians and more cornerless cubes.  The spacer beads are a mix of faience and glass which all seems to be ancient.   Strand #1 - 24 inches long.   Strand #2 - 22 inches long.      $750.US./both strands
  AN390.   I have a group of 14 Sassanian bead seals here.  They are very tricky as they are often imitated.  There are three on this strand that I have doubts about and they are different sizes but have essentially the same shape.  If you count the beads from the top of the strand in the first photo, those beads are #4, #8 and #9.  The rest of the beads look good.  Bead #3 is quite smoothed over and an image cannot be seen, #12 has no flat side or image, and #13 and #14 just have the vaguest memories of an image.  This is a great collection though and could be the focus of a cream & caramel coloured necklace.  $1250.US.
  AN391.   Here are nine ancient beads from the Roman period - in beautiful shades of turquoise and green.  They are all made of glass with the same technique pressing into the side of the hot glass over and over to make this shape.  The strand is 3 7/8 inches long.  The largest bead is 5/8 inch in diameter.   $350.US.
  AN392.   This is a rather wonderful Byzantine pendant.  I had cast copies of it for sale in the past but this is the original that I took a mould from.  The brass pendant (the surface is lightly coloured by time) is 1 3/4 inches tall and has a very graceful shape.  There are two loops at the top for stringing.  The piece is in excellent condition.   $180.US.
  AN393.   This bronze piece is probably an Islamic design (over 800 years old) that was probably originally some kind of belt ornament.  I has a very gentle curve to it, and graceful cut-outs.  There are no hanging loops but the top cut-outs can be used to put a cord through.  The piece is just under 1 7/8 inches across and 1 5/8 inches tall.  It has a great dark green patina to it - I do like to protect patinas by careful wear.   $150.US.
  AN394.   There are four pieces here.  #1 is a stamped bronze piece 1 3/8 inches tall with an interesting floral design on it.  It has no way to fasten it, but a piece could be glued against the back, perhaps a panel that allows a string to pass behind it.   $30.US.   #2 is the end of a Byzantine belt - the photo is of the rougher side, the other side is quite perfect.  The ending that the leather belt would be inserted into is open so that a thick ribbon or leather piece could be used again.  The piece is 1 5/8 inches tall and has a beautiful dark green patina to it.   $135.US.   #3 is a very typical Byzantine cross.  It seems that a zillion of these were made out of bronze in the 8th to 10th centuries--all with the same circles in the center and on the arms of each cross...  They are so similar that they could have almost been made from the same one mold - and were popular with a large proportion of people living then.   $150.US.   #4 is some kind of fitting that I can't quite decide on.  It has a beautiful pale green patina, is a little over 1 3/8 inches tall, has 4 stringing holes, and is flat on the back.   $65.US.
  AN395.   Here is a bronze Medeival thimble.  It is open at the top and at the bottom so interesting as beads could pass through it.  The piece is 11/16 inches tall.  I like the way the texture has been made by pin points in an interesting pattern.  One can use it in jewellery or one can use it as a thimble like it was used in the past.   $45.US.
  AN398.   These are three ancient glass rings.  I would not trust them for wearing unless one was very very careful.  After all glass is glass...   they are beautiful to sit in a collection though.  The green and the blue each have a flat "eye: shape at the front, and the yellow one has a glass knob as decoration.  The yellow one is 7/8 inch across.  The three are sold together.   $145.US.
  AN399.   Here is a small collection of small ancient beads, all 1000 years or older.  When lined up they measure 3 1/8 inches long with the largest (pulled stripes) being 1/2 inch long.  There is a nice mosaic bead of brick red and white, as well as eye beads.   $350.US.
  AN400.   This strand of ancient Roman horned eye glass beads were excavated in the area of the Black Sea in Europe.  Most of the beads are blue, a few have dark red cores.  The eyes are mostly yellow with blue or green central spots on them.  A few are whitish from the devitrification of the buried glass.  These beads probably date to 200BC or so.  When I acquired the beads I took a chance and cleaned them as they were fully white - and I managed to clean much of that surface colouration off.  There are 13 inches of beads and would be best strung on a natural cord with knots between the beads to protect them.  The largest beads are 5/16 of an inch or so in diameter.    $1200.US.
  AN401.   This is a rather wonderful group of ancient Egyptian Islamic folded beads - you can see where the folds meet.  They are a perfect watery colour of blue.  Most of them had a coating on them from long burial but a reasonable amount of it has been cleaned off.  One of the beads has a little bit of a checkerboard pattern on it which must have been created when it laid against a piece of fabric for hundreds of years.  The larger bead on this strand is 5/8 inch in diameter and the smallest is 1/4 inch in diameter.  They add up to 8 1/2 inches in length.  These beads are very unusual and very collectible.   $900.US.
  AN402.   This 18 inch long strand of ancient glass beads came out of the Balkans.  They are largely Roman.   $135.US.   (sold)
  AN403.   I have a series of ancient rings (almost all are bronze) which I collected 20 years ago or so.  They are wearable with one thing to keep in mind.  If they are worn often the patina (a coloured coating building up on the ring over many years) will wear down and the metal itself will show again.  It is best to maintain the patina as part of the history of the piece.  
Ring #1 has a nice dark green patina on it.  It has a very graceful Islamic shape to it with an "eye" shaped decoration at the front.  I like its grace and simplicity.  size 8.5   $185.US.    Ring #2 has a wide, flat top on it that has no decorations other than a simple dashed line around the edge of the oval.  behind that is a ridge which has small lines cut into it, almost like a shallow ruffle.  On the side of the oval which lies against the finger are lines radiating outwards from the center of the oval.  It is quite perfect.  size 8.5  $165.US.   Ring #3 is also made of bronze with a dark green patina.  It is a Byzantine piece with an attractive design on the front that makes me think of a star image.  It could have been used to sign documents on wax.  size 8.5   $165.US.
  AN404.   There are three more rings here, each of a distinctive style.  Ring #1 has a thick and well decorated band.  There are small bits of etching, relief and design all around the band culminating in a sprue decorated with a few diagonal lines.  The bezel of the ring is flower shaped and has a cross type design impressed into it with an engraver's tool. 
This was a silver woman's ring, probably Islamic, from the 11th Century or so.  size 6   $165.US.   Ring #2 is an eye ring - worn in Islamic countries to ward away evil.  This ring has an eye shaped bezel which has an etched design within the eye, which looks sort of like Arabic script, but isn't really.  It is probably a design that was originally derived from the decorative aspect of script...  There are also some lines of etching to each side of the center eye, and the low sprue in the back is decorated with a series of vertical lines.  size 8.5   $165.US.   #3 is very unusual Roman ring.  The cabochon is glass I believe (though it could be a pale peach/pink stone) with the image of a cow or steer on it.  Above that is written:  COS VII (a latin inscription).  Someone very knowledgeable in ancient coinage explained to me "The inscription COS VII means that the owner (could be an emperor) was consul 7 times. "COS" is short for consul. The consulship during the Republic was the highest office in the Roman world. (The appt. was only for 1 year to maintain checks and balances).  size 11   $250.US.
  AN405.   There are two ancient rings here.  #1 is a flanged ring typical of early Roman ones.  The catalog of the British Museum collection of ancient rings illustrates a few similar types--often cast in gold, but also in silver and bronze.  This ring fits beautifully on one of the smallest finger of a woman's hand, and is surprisingly very comfortable.  It has a simple design carved into the circular bezel, which may be a very abstraced portrait. I would place this ring around the 3rd Century A.D.  size 5.   $195.US.   #2 is quite interesting in its construction.  It has a raised opening where a stone must have sat over a thousand years ago.  One could fasten in a correctly sized round cabochon.  I don't know what the hole across the ring is for, but think it looks great.  size 7   $110.US.
  AN406.   Ring #1 is bronze with the original blue glass stone sitting in it.  size 5.5   $95.US.   #2 is a bronze ring with a brown patina on it.  It has a centerpiece of a blue glass stone with an image carved into it.  It is too worn though to see what was pictured there.  The ring is oval so difficult to measure exactly.  approximately size 5.5   $125.US.   #3 is a silver oval ring - very traditional in Roman times - with a clear image of a standing figure carved into the red oval cabochon.  It is very tiny with an opening at the back and a size 3 or so.   $110.US.
  AN407.   #1 is an ancient ring with a floral design on it.  It has a crack across the back so is not in perfect condition - and is a size 6.5   $35.US.   #2 is a very perfect ring - it looks simple from the photo but it has a very beautiful image carved into the round front to be used as a seal.  It has a wonderful creature with lots of detail on it - it looks like a crouched lion with a mane and something over its head.  I have to copy the image and enlarge it to be able to see it more clearly.  size 5.5  $245.US.      #3 is a tiny and delicate ring.  It has a small 3 step pyramid on the top which is funnily enough a little crooked...  so when you look at it from the top it is not exactly square, but very slightly tilted to the diagonal...  it gives it a sweet and quirky look.  This originally bronze ring is probably late Roman or early Byzantine--we'll say from the 5th to 7th Century A.D.  size 8   $45.US.
  AN408.   This is a heavy bronze ring made for one of the smaller fingers of a man's hand...  It has a dark green patination but one can see the brass underneath at corners.  There is some delicate etching around the bezel, and a simple pattern on the top, of two swirls meeting...  probably symbolizing harmony, balance, and perhaps infinity. The back of the ring where the original sprue was (the channel where the molten metal was poured into the original mold of the ring) still has a low remnant of the sprue which has been shaped and carved with a flower design.  This ring is a very collectible piece.  size 9.5   $350.US.
  AN409.   This is rather an amazingly shaped ring - the scalloped shape of it is very unusual and I think with the the short bar at the bottom it was made to be used as a pendant (a cord could be tied there) as well as a ring.  The 1/4 inch tall section has a seal carved into it.  In the ancient days distinctive seal images (this one is a small bird with large feet, and three dots under it...) were important as signatures in the signing of documents.     size 7.5    $250.US.
   AN410.   This Byzantine cross from Bulgaria has only one hinge attached to the top portion of the cross so can't be hung upright as is unless you can attach something to the broken hinge - it does have two secure loops at the opposite end.  This would normally have been only the front half of the cross.  The hinge at the bottom would have attached the front to a nearly identical (but undecorated) back piece.  The loops at the top would have interlocked so that when a cord was passed through, the two sides would remain closed.  Inside this reliquary cross a pilgrim or a religious devotee would have placed items of devotional and spiritual importance.  These crosses are found broken more often than not, and continued to be highly valued and still worn in that state...  2 1/2" high   $350.US.  
  AN411.   These four beads are extremely rare.  They have been identified by an expert in the field as being ancient beads from Mitanni.  This was a state in Northern Syria dating from 1500BC to 1300BC so this is among the earliest glass.  Trade routes passed through the area and many items passed through.  Necklaces were popular during that period with glass, gems and stones.  The tallest bead is a little over 1 1/4 inches tall.  It has an old cut in it that you can see in the photo and a little chipping around the bead holes.  The second bead has an old chip which you can see on the photo.  The smallest bead is 15/16 inches tall and in excellent condition.  The last bead has a chip at one end and some irridescence has formed there many many years ago.  I have photographed the beads with the damaged sides showing (even though it is old damage and part of the history of the beads) - the other sides have no problems.  The group of 4 beads is  $500.US.
  AN412.   Here is a very delicate, very beautiful, with intricate beads - strand of ancient faience from Iran.  The colours are pale and interesting and a lot of the beads have cross-hatching, lines, dots or dashes on them.  The pendant is 1 1/4 inches long and there are 17 1/2 inches of beads.  The string is 23 inches long so some people can slip it over their head.  You can see the same type of faience on page 105 of "Collectible Beads".   $480.US.  
  AN413.   These ancient bronze pieces had a function that I am not sure of.  They look as if they were stitched onto something like a horse harness to be decorative but I am only guessing.  They would make great pendants though, worn carefully so that the age-old patina doesn't wear off too much.  They each have a stringing hole at both the top and the bottom.  Pendant #1 has a lightly curved surface and a very attractive decorative pattern on it.  It is just under 1 7/8 inches tall.   $45.US.   Pendant #2 has a very open shape.  It is also a little under 1 7/8 inches tall.   $35.US.  
  AN414.   This is quite an astounding strand of Islamic crystal beads smoothed out in natural shapes.  When you first see them you do not notice the amazing part about them - that 6 of the beads have an oval etched into them filled with Islamic script.  You have to examine them and tilt them against the light to see, as the crystal is full of light and concentrating on the etched lines is difficult.  When you learn to focus on them though, they are easier to see.  The writing is in an oval that is 5/8 inch across or smaller.  I don't know how old these beads are as I have never seen any like them.  I will start by assuming that they are over 500 years old though as they do have signs of age.  These stayed in my collection for quite a long time.  Some of the photos came out pinkish but they are clear crystal with a bit of brown in holes and on rougher parts.  15 inches long with contemporary silver spacers and clasp.   $1400.US.

AN004.  The centerpiece of this contemporary necklace is a bronze piece of a roman lock plate.  It has a rich patina and concentric circles inscribes on the front.  The plaque is about 2" square and is complimented by 18" of facet garnets--again, hand cut in India, where methods of stone cutting have not changed since ancient days.  (the purple glare is caused by the scanner-the garnets are a normal garnet colour)  $145.US.

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    .....Eastern beads and ornaments
    .....Southeast Asia
    .....India
    .....Africa
   .....African trade beads
    .....North Africa
    .....the Americas including preColumbian
    .....Europe
    .....Modern copies of ancient objects
    .....Odds and ends
.........Mexico - traditional rebozos and market shopping