Junyi Wu, College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2026

"No one shall hereafter be permitted to decorate the bridles and saddles of his horses, or his own belts with pearls, emeralds, or hyacinths, or to   insert them therein... Moreover, if anyone should violate this law, he is thereby notified that he will immediately be fined fifty pounds of gold.                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                              ----The Enactment of Justinian

This necklace was decorated with sapphires and emeralds and was made in the 500s or 600s CE. This timeframe corresponds with the Early Byzantine Period and was marked by Justinian's reign. And this quote of Emperor Justinian I, focuses our attention on the significance of gemstones that include pearls, emeralds, and hyacinths. There are debates in regard to which kind of stone "hyacinths" refers to. Some argue it refers to the purple type amethyst while others consider it as sapphire. The time between 500 and 700 was a period during which the empire prospered in political power and wealth. Nevertheless, it also saw ups and downs for the empire as its eastern border experienced constant conflicts with border kingdoms and ethnic groups.