Brangakmeniai, rasti per Vilniaus Žemutinės pilies Lietuvos didžiųjų kunigaikščių rūmų archeologinius tyrimus
ENIn the 14th-first half of the 17th centuries, the Vilnius castles complex was one of the most important residences of the Lithuanian grand dukes. Archaeological research has complemented our historical information with unique discoveries: over three hundred items were unearthed. Among these finds, a number of very rarely found gold and silver jewellery items and decorative pieces with inlays are of particular interest. Nine gold and gold- plated silver jewellery items with gemstones were found: a garnet ring, a ruby ring, a diamond ring, a piece of jewellery or a decorative part thereof with a garnet and a pearl, and five pearls. One find featuring what are believed to be gemstones on a ring cannot be determined due to the poor condition of the piece. Having conducted comprehensive examinations of the gemstones at the Lithuanian Assay Office’s Gemstone Research Laboratory, it was confirmed that the piece of jewellery contained inlays of genuine gemstones. The garnets and pearl are the oldest gemstones to be found during excavations at the Vilnius Lower Castle (the pearl being one of the oldest in Lithuania). They have been dated to the turn of the 14th-15th century. These gemstones were inlayed into the ring and the piece of jewellery or the decorative part of the piece. The pearl from the 14th-15th century and the five 16th- century pearls are natural freshwater pearls (sourced from a river). According to historical and art research sources, they could have been used in the decoration of either jewellery, clothing, interior household items or liturgical objects. The ring from the late 16th century is set with a ruby and is analogous to other 16th-century European rings, testifying to the existence of common Europe-wide cultural trends in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The ring set with a diamond dates to the 16th-early 17th century.
