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)
9010	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis Lazuli. Inscribed: Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting rampant lion and rampant bull respectively. [The following is probably a later addition to the card] Legend: Ur-Igi-gal; servant of Igi-gal or of the Seer (?)
9008	(none)	(none)	(none)	Necklace. 42 lapis lazuli beads: blackened by fire. Double conoids, lantoids, roughly shaped ball beads, 1 large carnelian ring.
9000	(none)	1928,1009.378	(none)	Originally of wood (which has disappeared and left no trace at all), the top and edges encrusted with bone, shell, lapis and red paste tesserae set in bitumen: the bone tesserae are themselves engraved with geometrical and other patterns and inlaid with red paste and lapis. The board is in 2 unequal parts, rectangular, joined by a narrow neck: the upper part consists of 6 squares inside the border, the neck is 1 square wide and 2 long, the lower part had originally 4 rows of squares (12) and below those one or more rows of long triangular tesserae, shell and mother of pearl, with red paste triangles between them, the points of (one row of) the white tesserae pointing downwards. When found the object lay face downwards and on a slant: the upper part, nect, and 3 rows of squares of the lower part were complete, all except for one square at the bottom of the 4th row there was left there in position only a broken corner of a square. The broken square and 3 others, and also a number of triangles, were found separately in the dirt in front and below, but part of a row of white triangles (the red paste was reduced to powder) lay points upwards and face outwards against the back of the board: clearly the latter had been broken and doubled back: the tesserae at the line of the break had sprung and been dislodged. [drawing 1:5]
8996	(none)	(none)	(none)	Shell roundel. Convex above with incised 8 point star, the petals inlaid with lapis and red paste, 3 red and 5 blue of which one is missing. [drawing]
8988A	(none)	1928,1009.55	(none)	[A] Cylinder seal. Lapis, with [B] gold caps. Fragmentary. There were found only 2 bits of the cylinder, lying apart, and the caps were some way off in the grave, which otherwise appeared undisturbed. Inscription of (servant of ?) the daughter of Sargon of Akkad., [A] Lapis cylinder found in two fragments + [B] gold caps (missing now?) See UEII No. 308
8981	(none)	(none)	B16852	Cylinder Seal. Lapis. 2 registers: below: 1 man, fighting animals. Above, human figure with rampant animals on each side and inscription of NIN-TUR-NIN.
8974	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Gold-plated copper and lapis, small. (the former in bad condition)
8970	(none)	1928,1009.135	(none)	Beads. Small, gold over copper, and lapis strung up in sets of 2 and 4 of a sort.
8965	(none)	1928,1009.41	(none)	Cylinder seal. lapis Very small, 2 seated and 2 standing figures.
8962	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Small gold, silver, lapis and carnelian. For order see Field Notes.
8957	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. A small mixed set: 1 gold over copper, 1 onyx, 2 crystal, and some lapis, and carnelian (child's necklace)
8954	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. 1 carnelian bugle, and a set of mixed small beads: lapis, carnelian, & silver.
8931B	(none)	(none)	B16799	[B] Beads. 5 pendants of bleached carnelian set in gold [drawing] 2 pendants of fluted spear shaped lapis beads set in gold 1 pendant, carnelian set in gold 1 pendant, gold mulberry leaf (broken) 1 gold bugle bead 4 v. small gold ball beads.
8931A	(none)	(none)	B16797	[A] Beads. A quantity of lapis beads, many double conoids, one large square, some bugles and some small ball beads: also, a few fairly large carnelian rings: found with and presumably strung up with U.8931B
8927	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Small silver balls, silver disks, and small lapis balls. See field notes.
8926	(none)	(none)	B16888	Cylinder seal. Lapis Lazuli. 2 registers. Above: 1 seated and 2 standing figures. Below: men [illegible] animals
8923	(none)	1928,1009.343	(none)	Copper pin. With head of lapis ball capped with silver. (tip broken: all in very bad condition) [type] V
8921	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. Small silver and carnelian beads, (NB: Some of these are mixed up with U.8920)
8920	(none)	1928,1009.77	(none)	Beads. A string of small lentoids of lapis and of gold foil over copper (the latter in bad condition) strung in alternate sets of 6.
8919	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads. A string of moderately large beads, balls of gold foil over copper (in bad condition) and lapis, with a few carnelian, one of the latter a bugle with gold cap.
8918	(none)	1928,1009.69	(none)	Beads. A necklace composed of small diamond-shaped lapis beads and of flat gold disk beads strung alternately. NB. Either some of the of the gold beads were not found or else at the back there was lapis only.
8917	(none)	(none)	B16867	Cylinder seal. Green Stone Above, string pattern [drawing] Below, 2 seated and 2 standing gods
8916	(none)	(none)	(none)	Cylinder seal. Lapis Lazuli Scene: Gilgamesh and bull, Eabani and lion.
8904	(none)	(none)	(none)	Beads Small lapis and carnelian with lapis phallic amulet. [drawing 1:1]
8794	(none)	(none)	(none)	Necklace. About 18 gold beads, 18 lapis - ball beads, ring beads and a few double conoids. Gold and lapis strung alternately, ball beads between the double conoids.