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)
18155	32-40-327	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Pale amethyst. Warrior in chariot shooting with bow and arrow: a fallen enemy beneath the horse's hooves. Poor cutting.
6753	(none)	1927,0527.175	(none)	Cylinder seal. Quartz. Violet? Color. Plain. E.
12086	(none)	1929,1017.379	(none)	Cylinder Seal. Rock crystal. Hero fighting rampant lion; repeated twice. White paste core run down centre of seal.
7581	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Rock crystal. White. 9 fish. c.-3000BC?
7566	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Sard? Two registers. Inscribed Ur-sa(g)-ga; dumu.Ur-GAR-MUG. Portion of one end missing. Below spread eagle; above dragon?
12795A	30-12-18	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Steatite. Squat furniture type. Poor cutting. Stags? In procession and signs of doubtful import.
11957	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder Seal. Translucent white quartzite(?)
7953	(none)	1928,1009.12	(none)	Cylinder seal. White crystal, with copper caps; carinated. Two Gilgamesh figures each fighting a lion. Large cylinder, well cut. The central hole is filled with white paste having chevron bands of bright red which shows through the crystal. Inscribed.
6752	(none)	(none)	B16283	Cylinder seal. White crystal. Plain. E.
11751	(none)	1929,1017.348	(none)	Cylinder Seal. White shell, the ends inlaid with lapis disks. Very much decayed. 2 heroes & 4 animals: man on the left strikes at a rampant bull(?) turned away from him & grappling with a lion(?) this lions body crosses that of a second lion who attacks a bull which is seized from behind by a figure half human and half bull. Between the two human figures is a double column inscription, upper register only:-Mes-kalam-dug(or sar) Lugal.
11110	(none)	(none)	B16897	Cylinder Seal? lapis lazuli. Minute linear incisions oblique to the vertical axis of the seal. 2 registers. [drawing]
12011A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder Seals. (A) Lapis, geometric pattern. (B) White translucent calcite decayed & design gone.
16552	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder-seal, hematite. No personal name Shamash: Aia H.C. 30/II, 8.
10407	(none)	1928,1010.102	(none)	Cyliner Seal Lapis lazuli Presentation scene: 3 figures, all standing, and 2 columns of inscription: Bur iluda-gan; mar Ku-ru-ub iluadad
10553	(none)	(none)	(none)	Dagger Copper blade (broken) Hilt of silver with gold guard studded with lapis and gold studs on pommel: the silver all decayed.
17360	(none)	(none)	(none)	Date stone. Jasper (?) Reddish. [drawing 1:1]
8693	(none)	(none)	B16798	Diadem. Composed of two pieces of gold (imitation chain) and 3 beads, large lentoids, 2 of lapis, 1 of gold. See field notes. The gold 'chains' are made of 4 strings of twisted 2-ply gold wire soldered together: one has come unsoldered at the end. The beads must have come in the middle of the forehead and a string must have connected the gold pieces behind the head.
14475A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Dog collar. Lapis lazuli and gold triangular spacers.
9252	(none)	(none)	(none)	Donkey's ear? Lapis lazuli Spoon shaped with a rounded socket which must originally have been fitted to the statue of which the lapis ear was a part. Back of the ear is convex with a ridge running vertically down the middle. At the socket end of the ear in the middle, a shallow circular cavity 0004 in diameter. [drawing] 1:1
10911	(none)	(none)	B17548	Drinking tube made of a very thin copper pipe encased in short tubes of lapis lazuli 002-0035 long. (broken).
10450	(none)	(none)	(none)	Drinking [struck out: "sceptic?'] Tube made of cylindrical lengths of lapis and gold strung on silver wire, or slender rod: it lay along the end of the box and one end was bent down into the large silver pot U____ also, half in this was a piece of silver tube which is probably the head of the sceptre.
15710	(none)	(none)	(none)	Duck weight miniature. Hematite. [drawing 1:1]
16250	31-43-111	(none)	(none)	Duck weight 3.84 grs. Blackish-brown steatite. Probably half-sheqel (nominal weight 4.208grs.). Type VI.
11508	(none)	(none)	(none)	Duck weight carnelian. Type VI. [drawing 1:1]
16932D	31-43-110	(none)	(none)	Duck weight hematite. Weight 4.232 grs. Half-sheqel (nominally 4.208 grs.). Type VI