This book is a comprehensive overview of four and a half thousand years of jewelry technology—from the dawn of the Bronze Age to the end of the medieval period, including chapters on design, gold refining and testing, the goldsmiths themselves and the perennial problem of fakes. It will appeal to curators, conservators, collectors, archaeologists, practicing goldsmiths and all those interested in history and crafts. The author concentrates on what can be observed without recourse to specialized laboratory equipment.