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)
15304	(none)	1930,1213.17	(none)	Gold earring. Small, lunate, light: and gold, lapis & carnelian beads small: for order see Field Notes.
10948A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold Crown. Formed of beads and figurines, etc. sewn onto a fillet of leather. The background was composed of minute beads of lapis and gold--the latter short tubular lengths. Against these stood out: (A) 4 pairs of animals, viz. 2 antlered stags. 2 bearded bulls, 2 gazelles, 2 rams. (B) Small 8-petalled rosettes. (C) Plant ornaments, viz. Ears of corn, pomegranates, bunches composed of 3 fruit and 3 leaves, plants with rough stems (gold-leaf over silver) and gold and carnelian pods. (D) 8 Twisted wire palmettes for the order of them see field notes.
10948B	(none)	(none)	B16684	Gold Crown. Formed of beads and figurines, etc. sewn onto a fillet of leather. The background was composed of minute beads of lapis and gold--the latter short tubular lengths. Against these stood out: (A) 4 pairs of animals, viz. 2 antlered stags. 2 bearded bulls, 2 gazelles, 2 rams. (B) Small 8-petalled rosettes. (C) Plant ornaments, viz. Ears of corn, pomegranates, bunches composed of 3 fruit and 3 leaves, plants with rough stems (gold-leaf over silver) and gold and carnelian pods. (D) 8 Twisted wire palmettes for the order of them see field notes.
10948C	(none)	(none)	B16684	Gold Crown. Formed of beads and figurines, etc. sewn onto a fillet of leather. The background was composed of minute beads of lapis and gold--the latter short tubular lengths. Against these stood out: (A) 4 pairs of animals, viz. 2 antlered stags. 2 bearded bulls, 2 gazelles, 2 rams. (B) Small 8-petalled rosettes. (C) Plant ornaments, viz. Ears of corn, pomegranates, bunches composed of 3 fruit and 3 leaves, plants with rough stems (gold-leaf over silver) and gold and carnelian pods. (D) 8 Twisted wire palmettes for the order of them see field notes.
8613A	(none)	1928,1009.76	(none)	Gold chains etc. [A-B] Two sections of gold chain with crochet links . When found (A) passed through a curled gold earring (C) [drawing] With these, [D] two lapis facetted lentoid beads, 4 carnelian rings, and remains of a large silver-plated bead with horizontal ribbing - the latter wholly decayed.
8613D	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold chains etc. [A-B] Two sections of gold chain with crochet links . When found (A) passed through a curled gold earring (C) [drawing] With these, [D] two lapis facetted lentoid beads, 4 carnelian rings, and remains of a large silver-plated bead with horizontal ribbing - the latter wholly decayed.
9780B	(none)	(none)	B17655	Gold Chain The usual type with double-twisted links giving a square section
9780A	(none)	(none)	B17654	Gold Chain The usual type with double-twisted links giving a square section
8585	(none)	(none)	B16820	Gold beads etc. 14 flat disks and 19 balls, small and 1 large double conoid. With these a few small carnelian and lapis, amongst the former some diamonds laterally pierced.
9779	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold Bead Double conoid Decorated with applied filligree work and circular cloisons once filled in with lapis (now all missing: a fragment of lapis remained in one cloison when the object was found) [drawing]
8565	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold and stone chain. 6 lapis and 4 carnelian beads, the lapis thus [drawing 1:1] and the carnelian thus (flat) [drawing 1:1]. Strung alternately: in the middle of the chain (probably, see field notes) a gold centrepiece [drawing] of cloisonne work inlaid with lapis petals to the rosette and light yellow carnelian between the petals. (2 carnelians missing). The gold pieces had 2 attachment loops of which one is missing.
14481A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold and lapis lazuli cylindrical from cuffs. DUPLICATE [duplication of number in record] (Card received from Mallowan 1976)
8002	(none)	1928,1009.68	(none)	Gold and lapis chain. A very fine chain of gold wire links. Six lengths of chain connecting 5 double conoid lapis beads. The chain is square in section.
10982A	(none)	(none)	B16694	Gold Amulet. [A] Wheel rosette. Attached apparently to a number of very small gold and lapis beads [B] : but there is no means of attachment. Alternate petals one inlaid with lapis, and the others left clear. [drawing 1:1]
10982B	(none)	(none)	B16694	Gold Amulet. [A] Wheel rosette. Attached apparently to a number of very small gold and lapis beads [B] : but there is no means of attachment. Alternate petals one inlaid with lapis, and the others left clear. [drawing 1:1]
16257	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gold & Lapis Inlay. Small bits of lapis shaped shield fashion set in thin sheet gold which has been cut out to take the inlay. Most of the stones were found still in their setting and have been kept there; a few were scattered and have been replaced. The fragment lay face downwards on the threshold of the door and may have formed part of the decoration of the door itself or of the shrine behind.
9024	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting rampant bull and rampant lion, respectively.
10478A	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478B	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478C	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478D	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-Board. With men and dice. [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found. Found behind the chariot.
10478E	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-Board With men & dice [A] The board is of the usual shape with vertical borders of shell and red stone strips: round the edge a mosaic of minute tesserae in blue, red, and white. The squares were of the original wood which formed the body of the board, each square inlaid with 5 eyes of shell having red or blue centres, except for two which are squares of shell inlaid with a flower rosette having red and blue petals: the squares are divided by narrow ivory strips inlaid with red and blue dots. The wood has perished and has been replaced with plaster of paris. Under one end of the board were found the men in 2 piles: there are [C] 7 white and [B] 7 black, the latter of shell inlaid with 5 white spots, the former of shell engraved with animal scenes, the details and the background filled in with black. Under the other end of the board was [D] a set of six dice of white shell, solid triangles, having blue dots at 2 of the 4 points of each: scattered in the neighborhood was a [E] second set of lapis with gold points, of which only 4 were found
10557	(none)	(none)	(none)	Gaming-board of silver, the face composed of shell plaques engraved with mythological scenes & set in lapis frames
18347	33-35-155	(none)	(none)	Fruit of gold and carnelian. A simple bead of carnelian shaped thus [reference to drawing], through which is a slender gold stem with a rounded cap above.
11799C.1	(none)	(none)	(none)	Frontlet. [A-B] 2 gold chains; [C.1-.2] 2 carnelian bugles; [C.3] 1 gold bugle; [C.4-5] 2 lapis ball beads.