Assyrian Flower onyx vermeil earrings

Description

Gold vermeil with onyx drop

British Museum Ashurbanipal selection, 2018

These delicate earrings are inspired by the palmette crown of the Assyrian ‘Tree of Life’ motif which was very prevalent in the region and appears on royal garments and jewellery, official seals, and the wall paintings and sculptures of royal palaces.

Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony (a form of quartz) and comes in a wide variety of colors. Most commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of both black and white, though the word “onyx” means black and the pieces in these earrings are in the traditional black. In modern times, gold is mined all over the world, but in the old days, much of it was mined from what is now Saudi Arabia. Gold often symbolizes power, strength, wealth, warmth, happiness, love, hope, optimism, intelligence, justice, balance, perfection, and divinity.