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)
9863E	(none)	(none)	B16907	[A-B] 2 Gold Chains. [C] 1 silver chain. (badly broken, poor condition) [D] 1 large facetted gold lentoid base; [E] 4 large facetted lapis lentoid beads; Gold chains, normal type with double twisted links giving a square section. Silver chain similar. Worn round the head. For details see Field Note.
9064	(none)	(none)	B16898	Cylinder seal Lapis lazuli Silver core Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting rampant lion and rampant bull respectively.
11110	(none)	(none)	B16897	Cylinder Seal? lapis lazuli. Minute linear incisions oblique to the vertical axis of the seal. 2 registers. [drawing]
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.
8926	(none)	(none)	B16888	Cylinder seal. Lapis Lazuli. 2 registers. Above: 1 seated and 2 standing figures. Below: men [illegible] animals
7552	(none)	(none)	B16885, B16885	Cylinder seal. hematite. Black. Inscribed. Scene of worship. Shamash standing with left foot on raised step, right foot on ground, left hand raised to greet heavily draped male figure whose left shoulder is bare. Behind a goddess wearing flounced kaunakes skirt with hands upraised, and behind goddess AIA? a warrior with a bent staff carried in right arm. Below the inscription a Simish. Attributes: crescent and moon and Simish. Inscription: ^dBABBAR(^ilSumas): ^dA-A(^ilAia).
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.
11112	(none)	(none)	B16880	Cylinder Seal. Lapis lazuli. Bird headed men fighting bearded bulls and gazelles. One hero wears a four pronged comb at back of head.
9502	(none)	(none)	B16873, B16873	Cylinder seal Green ston A hero fighting a lion and a second fighting a long-horned bull (?): between the animals a star and crescent, between the men a single column of inscription. A-ki-ru-um. (HC.202)
8416	(none)	(none)	B16870	Cylinder seal. Steatite. Green. Small piece missing near one end. Inscribed. Slightly concave. Two rampant lions back to back. Each is attacked by a naked bearded and horned hero. Between the 2 lions tails 3 vertical lines with rounded heads standing above a pair of spread wings? - thus [drawing]
8917	(none)	(none)	B16867	Cylinder seal. Green Stone Above, string pattern [drawing] Below, 2 seated and 2 standing gods
8053	(none)	(none)	B16866	Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Two registers. Above: two seated deities with an attendant between them & facing one of them, two worshippers. Below: a door? a seated deity & 3 worshippers. Very archaic style, figures with birdlike heads.
7641	(none)	(none)	B16861	Cylinder seal. Green stone. Slightly concave. Broken in antiquity but remended and complete. Gilgamesh and Enkidu back to back the former fighting a rampant bull the latter fighting a rampant lion.
9262	(none)	(none)	B16860	Cylinder seal Steatite Green. Slightly concave. A god standing between two portals, the left foot raised and resting upon the mountain top, the right foot rigid- as if in the attitude of ascending? His left hand is upraised and in it he holds a feather whisk?? His head is turned backward in contemplation of a minute human figure crouching in the attitude of subjection. The god's right hand is extended immediately above the head of the victim that he has crushed. Oblique to the go are three concentric wavy lines above the right shoulder - possibly representing lightening? The god wears a horned headdress. A second god also wearing a horned headdress, long hair falling below the shoulders and ending in a knot? and a skirt descending to the feet, approaches one of the portals and touches it with hands as if about to open it.
9652	(none)	(none)	B16857	Cylinder seal Dark steatite A hero fighting a bull (or wild oryx)? and a lion and a bull fighting.
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.
9263	(none)	(none)	B16855	Cylinder seal Steatite Black Geometric decoration
9183	(none)	(none)	B16854	Cylinder seal Lapis, with gold caps (the latter rather broken). Subject: Gilgamesh and Eabani.
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.
8013E	(none)	(none)	B16851	[A and B] Two silver bracelets. Made of three twists of wire. To one of these is attached by corrosion an [C] object of silver apparently containing a cockle shell [D]; the cockle shell has in it green pigment and was covered by a silver shell (broken) thus: [drawing] though it is impossible to say whether the shell is really belonging or only accidentally attached. Various beads are also attached by corrosion to the bracelet and also [E] an eye of lapis with white shell filling.
8738	(none)	(none)	B16849	Conical bead. Lapis lazuli. Perforated vertically and horizontally in 4 places. 3 triangles engraved upon it - in each triangle 3 lines parallel to the base. [drawing]
8614	(none)	(none)	B16829	Beads. 3 Gold squares 33 x 20mm 3 lapis diamonds [drawing] strung together. (v. field notes) and probably joined on to the cylinder seal U.8615.
8615	(none)	(none)	B16828	Cylinder seal. Lapis. 2 registers: above: three seated deities(?) with a worshipper in front of each. Below: door: 3 seated and 3 standing figures. Archaic style.
8274B	(none)	(none)	B16825	[A-B] Necklace. About 250 beads, mostly small. 1 large faceted lapis lazuli. 18 double conoid lapis. 14 lentoid lapis. 18 bugle and double conoid carnelian. 4 or 5 minute gold beads. The rest small carnelian ring beads and lapis ring and ball beads, a few ribbed barrel lapis beads. Fragment of lapis inlay with incised concentric areas [drawing]. Arbitrarily made up into two strings .
8469	(none)	(none)	B16824	5 beads. 2 ball lapis, 2 double conoid lapis, 1 double conoid carnelian.