FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS 19th February 2025 at 12pm

collectors alike. The large crystals mean that faceted specimens and carvings can be found in large carat weights. And the abundance of both where amethyst is found across the globe and the abundance within those deposits mean that it has been a popular gemstone for thousands of years. Early Greek mythology associated the gem with Bacchus god of wine and pleasure, getting its name from the Greek word ‘amethystos’ meaning ‘a remedy against drunkenness’.They believed that amethyst would protect against the intoxicating powers of alcohol. Once considered equal to ruby, emeralds and sapphire, amethyst can be found in religious jewellery such as ecclesiastical rings worn by Bishops as an mark of their authority and is found in royal jewellery across the world. It is a gemstone that has captivated mankind for millennia, from the lilac to deep purple hues, amethyst can be cut into many shapes and sizes.Within reach of most consumers, due to the abundance of which it was found. It has long been regarded as a symbol of empowerment and inner strength. It owes its success in par t to the fact the colour purple has been revered throughout history and has long been the colour of royalty and status, symbolising extravagance and wealth. Purple, as a pigment, does not appear in nature too often, so much so that so that a pigment made from ground sea snails known as Tyrian purple was wor th three times its weight in gold, according to a Roman edict issued in 301 AD. Dating back to approximately 3000 years ago, the ancient Phoenicians discovered that if they ground the secretions or mucous of three species of sea snails that they could produce a richly coloured purple pigment. Known as Tyrian purple, getting its name from the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, now in modern day Lebanon.Which was then used to colour cloaks and sails, paintings furniture, plaster, frescos and burial shrouds.The pigment was so rare and expensive that it was only available to those in the upper echelons of society. It was decreed by Roman emperors that anyone else wearing it would be sentenced to death. In 40AD the King of Mauretania, which was par t of the Roman Empire, was killed for walking into an amphitheatre whilst wearing a purple robe. Even Cleopatra used it for the sails of her boats. By the 15th century the elaborate method of extractingTyrian purple was lost. So, it is no wonder 5 LIVE AUCTION OF FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS • WEDNESDAY, 19th FEBRUARY 2025 AT 12PM Lot 82: AN AMETHYST SET GATE BRACELET, in 9ct yellow gold, padlock & safety chain, 20.8 g €850 – €950