In the Bible, the value of glass is equated with that of gold and silver, for the ancients treated it as a precious substance. With its infinite variety of colors and malleable shape, glass was prized throughout antiquity for jewelry and ornament. The beads collected together in this splendid necklace range in period from the Iron Age through the Byzantine era, and include Hellenistic and Roman examples. Their colors are rich and vivid, their patterns bold and abstract. These beads delight the contemporary eye as they surely did the ancient one. We can imagine the beautiful women who adorned themselves with such treasures long ago. To wear such a jewel today is to immerse oneself in the collective energy of history.