The allure of gold and gems, as well as the desire to fashion them into objects of adornment, has remained a constant for thousands of years.
The Walters Arts Museum in Baltimore is one of the few museums worldwide that can provide an array of exquisite jewelry from over 5,000 years of world history and from a vast spectrum of cultures.This renowned collection contains beautiful examples of craftsmanship ranging from such ancient masterpieces as a Syrian gold crown produced in the second millennium B.C., an Egyptian amulet necklace from the first millennium B.C., and a pair of gold Roman snake bracelets to a Visigothic fibula of the sixth century, a Spanish Baroque crystal crucifix, and a diamond necklace made by Tiffany and Company in the early twentieth century.
The exhibition not only presented the evolution of techniques and materials throughout the ages but also demonstrateed the importance of jewelry as an expression of creativity, and often wealth and power.
