BYZANTINE RING (ca. 5th-7th centuries) Byzantine ring circa 5th-7th century, consisting of a ring and bezel in very yellow gold between 18k (750 thousandths) and 21.6k (900 thousandths), surmounted by a flat table-cut old emerald revealing a rich garden and flush frosts. The openwork ring features a line snaking between two borders (some of the soldering is missing, suggesting filigree work). The shoulders adjoin the bezel and end in gold granules. The bezel is set in a closed setting without rims and open at the top, as was customary during this period. The bottom of the basket has been restored to hold the stone in place. Sold in Munich by Artemis on 19 June 1998 from a private collection in New Jersey. Sale in Chicago by Hindman Auctions, 21 March 2023, lot 138. Size of emerald: approx. 5.5 x 5.8 mm (depth impossible to measure due to closed setting). Finger size: 1.4 cm (approx. 40) Gross weight: 1.6 g. When the expansion of the Roman Empire meant that it was no longer possible to control the borders effectively in the East, it was decided in 395 AD to divide the Empire in two, one part called the Western Roman Empire and the other the Eastern Roman Empire. Each part was administered in a sovereign manner. It soon became apparent that lifestyles and artistic creations were very different, leading to the production of jewellery and works of art specific to each entity. Byzantine production retained some of the codes of Roman goldsmithing, such as the use of emeralds and the type of setting, but the oriental influence can be felt in the line that snakes along the ring. Granulation, when it is of the order of a millimetre, was very common in ancient Greek and Persian jewellery. The Byzantines perpetuated this style, while the West moved away from it with the influences of the Germanic peoples who replaced the Western Roman Empire in 476.