"Collar from the Kerch region, Crimea, Ukraine" (see related A), 400 Unknown Master Kerch Peninsula, Crimea, Ukraine Romish-Germanish Museum, Cologne (Koln), Germany

During the 4th-5th. c. tribal Germanic goldsmiths in the lower Danube and Ukraine gained considerable reputation across the Roman Empire, and the jewels they produced have been found in many excavation sites. These masters were fond of precious stones they polished to make large beads for heavy necklaces combined with pearls or characteristic gold tubes or beads. Among the main sites where such jewels were found are regions in Kerch in Crimea and southern Ukraine in general. The goldsmiths relied on classic Greek and Roman techniques enriched by far more ancient styles and approaches. The result were precious and opulent jewels popular everywhere in the Roman Empire. (See orientation map with historical pointers)