Raman Characterization of Gemstones from the Collection of the Byzantine & Christian Museum

Abstract

A very significant component of the collect ion of gold jewellery in the By zantine Museum of Athens consists of the Mytilene Treasure fro m the island of Lesbos. Despite the importance of the Mytilene Treasure, one of the most significant hoards of the 7th century A.D. fro m the Aegean area, no previous systematic study has been dedicated to it since its discovery in 1951, except for b rief entries in exh ib ition catalogues (Chalkia, 2008). The presence of Gemstones among the artefacts, set us the question of their mineralog ical identity. The samples which we study are the following BXM_875, BXM_872, BXM_178a, BXM_178b, BXM_873a, BXM_873b. The Raman spectroscopy measurements made in t he Laboratory of Physicochemical Analysis of By zantine & Christian Museum. The references on Gemstones in Byzantine literature are many and helpfu l(Stocchi M.,2009). Theophrastus of Eressos mentions that exist a kind of false emerald(Caley, 1956). In Christian Era Ep iphanios of Cyprus is described in his text emeralds (Ep iphanii Cypri, 4 cent.A.D.). Another interesting reference is the book of Damigeron (1rst cent. A.D.) which includes a description of emerald(Tahil, 2005). In By zantine Era Michael Psellus (11nth c. A.D.) in his text De Virtutibus Lapidorum made a reference on emerald. In accordance to our experimental results: the BXM_872 contains nine real emeralds, the circular amu let BXM_ 875 is a blue g lass with an addit ion of lapis lazuli, the earrings BXM_178a,b with the b lue stones are not sapphires but they are possible a kind of glass paste and the earrings BXM_ 873a,b are g reen glass.

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