The ancient goldsmith has blended the mellow richness of the metal with the lush glow of garnet to create jewels of subtle drama. Since earliest antiquity, the colors of gold and purple have been associated with royalty: the woman who wore these earrings so long ago must surely have felt like a princess, if she was not one in fact. We can imagine them ornamenting the ears of some dark-haired classical beauty, catching the light as she laughed, and drawing attention to her charms. Like so much of the ancient world, she has vanished into time, but her memory lingers on in the presence of these treasured jewels.