Imagine how elegant an Etruscan would have looked adorned with this gold jewelry! This is one of the most impressive sets of Etruscan jewelry ever found. Especially exquisite are the two large, gold discs, inlaid with rock crystal and gold filigree. Take a moment to look closely at their superb granulation—the delicate decoration made from tiny gold beads soldered onto the surface. These discs might be earrings. A similar type, originally from Lydia, became fashionable in Etruria during the second half of the sixth century B.C.

Now take a close look at the elaborate gold necklace. It has multiple pendants with the heads of sirens and satyrs, and inlaid stones. Notice how skillfully the Etruscan jeweler used texture and the natural color of these gemstones—how he alternated the colorful banded agates with the carved scarabs. The art of carving precious stones into scarabs, pendants, and seals flourished in Etruria in the last decades of the sixth century B.C. The technique was probably taught in workshops set up by artisans from Eastern Greece.

There are also two rings with engraved scarabs that revolve on a swivel bezel. Another one is decorated with embossed satyr heads. Look for the fibula, or gold pin, decorated with a sphinx—a winged creature with a lion’s body and a human head. This impressive set of jewelry attests to the technical skill of the Etruscan jeweler and to their patrons’ discriminating taste.