Achaemenid Gold // Carnelian Necklace w/ Ahura Mazda

Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 550 to 330 BCE. A stunning necklace of a sublime presentation composed of forty hand-carved, red-orange carnelian beads, six hammered electrum spacer beads near the terminals (83% gold, the fineness of 14K), and thirty amphora-shaped electrum beads. A figure-eight loop caps one necklace strand, and a modern double shepherd's hook clasp hangs from the other. Strung in modern times, this is an opulent and wearable example of ancient history!

Central to this accessory is a petite electrum pendant with a grooved suspension ring and a shallow, segmented border surrounding a low-relief depiction of Ahura Mazda, the primary deity of creation in Achaemenid Zoroastrianism. The right-facing deity stands with one arm extended atop a sun disc lower body, two pairs of outstretched wings, and a feathered tail representing "Shahbaz," the royal falcon and standard of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions still in existence and was started by scattered pockets of minority worshippers in the ancient Near East and Central Asia, primarily Iran and India, as a cosmological religion. The primary deity, Ahura Mazda (Ahuramazda, Harzoo, or Ohrmazd), is the deity responsible for creating all that exists within the universe and is the spiritual embodiment of wisdom as well as intellect.

The importance of this pendant stems from the presentation of the deity Ahura Mazda set above a solar disc with not one but two pairs of wings. The upper set of straight wings represent the Faravahar, and the lower set of curled wings symbolize the Shahbaz. The amalgamation of the two styles of wings interweaves the idea that Zoroastrianism is the moral and ideological foundation of the Achaemenid Empire. Physical depictions of Ahura Mazda with two sets of wings are exceedingly scarce, making this pendant one of unfathomable rarity.

While the quality of the gold components tested at 14K, an X-Ray Fluorescence analysis indicates that the elemental composition of this material is consistent with ancient electrum from this region. The XRF analysis shows the elemental composition to be roughly 83% gold (fineness equal to 14K), 11% silver, and 6% copper.. A full report will accompany purchase.