GOLD

   Gold was employed with great skill by Etruscan craftsmen, who developed the skills of granulation (minute droplets of gold), filigree (fine gold wire), and fine gold sheet to produce brooches, hair rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets of a very high quality from the late eighth century BC onward. In the Orientalizing period, this production was concentrated in settlements such as Caere and Vetulonia, centered on fibulae. In the sixth century BC, new types of gold jewelry such as earrings (particularly the bauletto style), necklaces, and finger rings were introduced. In the fifth century BC, diadems, a new style of hoop earring, round bullae, and pendants became fashionable. The bullae increased in popularity during the fourth century BC with complex narrative scenes.

   See also JEWELRY.