Should I buy this CANAANITE. SILVER EARRING?

Thinking ahead for something cool to get for my daughter for Christmas. She's been saying that she wants something with ruby due to her birth stone (didn't know that was a thing). I found this item listed as 1400 BC as a silver earring for about $200

What I'd expect she'd do is wear it as a pendant. If this is silver, what is all the mineralization looking stuff on it? Is this the horn silver I have hear about?

What are your all's thoughts on this item?

 

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(i did not realize somebody swiped them from a museum - so they are out there Somewheeeeeere over the rainbowwwww!!!)





https://www.classichollywoodcentral...-offers-1-million-reward-for-stolen-slippers/

 

those will be my back up plan

 

gee whiz...
had the hardest time getting that post to work.
lol

 

Hello. I gently advise you to offer her modern silver earrings that are encrusted with synthetic rubies. She'd love them, and they are much more beautiful. Try to find a friendly jeweler. Cheers.. Hope merry days to come.

 

JJ,
Unless your daughter is extremely sophisticated, as well her friends, this ring, although historically interesting, is butt-ugly as a piece of wearable jewelry.
I would think that you know your daughter's taste better than any of us CT-ers.
Simply use that knowledge,
My 2 centavos,
J.T.

 

The history is certainly here. Perhaps it could be mounted inside a glass piece and then hung on a chain. Not sure what the glass pieces are called. But they have their own fitting attached to the top so they can be carried on a neck chain.

 

Thanks for the responses! I agree that this isn't conventionally beautiful so much. She is very interested in history (has considered archeology as an avocation and has taken some college courses in it) and been asking me to try to find ancient jewelry.

This is an interesting idea. I'll look into this. Sounds like I may need to get her input on this

 

Ancient silver can be quite fragile internally due to crystallization, even when externally it looks solid. I would not recommend wearing something like this especially with how thin the top part is

 

Don't be surprised if the rubies are really rubies or garnets. And since there was no lapidary equipment, most look like "dead" stones ( no refraction ). eBay has a group
by searching " ancient ruby ear rings " but most look rather modern, but some have good flash. Jim

 

Gotta agree, you know your daughter best but if I gave my daughter my dug up earrings she'd think I lost my mind!

 

cool word of the day

lapidary
noun


lap·i·dary | \ ˈla-pə-ˌder-ē \
plural lapidaries
Definition of lapidary
(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds
2 : the art of cutting gems
lapidary

adjective
Definition of lapidary (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : having the elegance and precision associated with inscriptions on monumental stone a stanza that has a lapidary dignity
2a : sculptured in or engraved on stone
b : of, relating to, or suggestive of precious stones or the art of cutting them

 

I bought an ancient ring to wear. Took about one week for the thing to snap in half. I epoxied it together and then it broke in another place.

ancient metal is often fragile and brittle

 

@JJ Walker, your point is well taken, at least from here, that your daughter is already into archaeology, and that if you got her this ring, it wouldn't happen in a complete 'teenage vacuum.'
(...That phrase is referencing my current favorite thread here, "Post an Ancient Coin and an Old Tune." Cf. The Who, "Teenage Wasteland." ...Which I also like to paraphrase this way, going back to the days of three network tv channels, and (thank you, in my town) zero PBS:

Don't cry,
Don't close your eyes;
It's only TV Wasteland.)

Sorry I'm the last one to be of further advice, especially regarding the authenticity, but I'm liking your notion that she could wear it as a pendant, instead of as a ring. ...Even in that capacity, @hotwheelsearl's point (while I was typing) is a serious caveat. Whether you're talking about ancient jewellery, or medieval coins, the mere fact that the thing is made of (predominantly base) metal is Exactly Zero guarantee of its continued structural viability.
...Meanwhile, thanks for that, @cplradar. Had to remind me of the town I was living in, for a minute (c. 1980's), where there was an ice cream place, run by aging hippies, called, 'Ye Olde Lap-A-Dairy Shop.' --No, I really don't think they did the 'Shoppe' thing. To their ongoing credit.

 

I would not wear a genuine artifact to a class on archaeology taught by someone who opposes private ownership of antiquities. It is a common attitude among 'professionals' that we who collect are all grave robbers. I collect coins but not antiquities because they were made to circulate and travelled great distances rather than belonging to one person and being buried with them. Have you researched replicas that look ancient but wear well?

 

It is interesing that when we went to the Brittish Museum, every young women stopped and admired and preened in front of the Jewerly discovered from Ur -

http://www.mrbrklyn.com/london_2.html#wooley - FWIW - I didn't write this up.

 

Well since it was brought up. Here is a garnet I faceted and inserted in a ring ( which I did not make, but are readily available through suppliers.
First rough facets of stone on a metal dop which inserts into the faceting machine


8 main facets with the table ( the flat part on top)


Since I have lost a lot of weight the last year , my fingers are smaller now.

Jim

 

Here's an ancient piece of Amethyst. But believe me, cutting or engraving the stone would cost more than its own raw value.

 

This is something I've thought quite a bit about. Any form of archaeology is a form of destruction I think. Just exposing the site to oxygen, sunlight, tools, etc will speed up the decay of these things. I am certain that a credentialed expert can learn much more about these object than an amateur, but here is where we get into philosophy. Why is that the prime goal of humanity? Who got to decide that and why? Maybe if I knew I could be fully on board, but as it stands, I'm not.

Yes, it's clearly incredibly important. But maybe we should take more into account than just this, and attempt to weigh these things somehow.

For example, some fella 3000 years ago spent a ton of his time, energy, and maybe money to make an ax head that he was likely quite proud of. He knew this thing would ax the crap out of whatever needed axing. Boy oh boy was this head going to ax.

Then somehow it got lost, maybe forever. Would this artisan be super excited about a bunch of scholars standing around his object, afraid to even touch or clean it? What might he want? We cannot know for sure of course, but archaeologists constantly thrust intentions on ghosts (everything's a temple ). So I'd say that a smith would want his objects to be used literally until the day it's impossible to use them. I'd say that he'd be incredibly impressed and proud to see his ax head cutting firewood 3000 years later.

Maybe I'm wrong, but this is just my thoughts so far. They are constantly evolving, as are most all my thoughts and opinions.

 

This is a real problem no matter what I decide I think. I hadn't realized this, and based on all the crust on this, I bet it's incredibly fragile. I think if I do buy it, the only hope would be to put it in one of those glass things @tommyc03 mentioned. I'll need to check into this and also check if that would be something she'd want. And also decide if i'm on board with buying such an object.

Thanks man. I really love that she's into it as it gives us a cool connection. Unfortunately she's just now reached an age (19) where she's got so many incredibly fun opportunities that she literally has only time for school and parties. Though I would give my left egg to be in that situation.