A silver gilt and amethyst jewel found in Castle Kolno's moat dates from the early 14th to mid-15th century. The castle, built by Duke Bolesaw III in the 13th century, witnessed ownership changes before being burned in 1443 during civil unrest. Precious jewelry is rarely unearthed in castle sites. The jewel likely belonged to a traveler. The amethyst's composition was analyzed, identifying it as cabochon set in a ray pattern, indicative of an international gem-setting style of the 13th century. Analysis methods included Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence.
The unique silver gilt and amethyst jewel found in the moat of Castle Kolno dates between the early 14th century and mid-15th century, indicating its historical context.
Despite being a castle occupied by wealthy nobles, precious jewelry finds are rare in such settings, with most gold and silver ornaments discovered in graves and hoards.
The jewel’s setting, featuring a cabochon amethyst surrounded by a pattern of rays or palmette petals, signifies an international style characteristic of the 13th century.
The analysis of the jewel was conducted using techniques like Raman spectroscopic analysis for the amethyst and X-ray fluorescence for the metal properties.
Collection
[
|
...
]