#rock crystal

[oldjewelryfeed]

Art Deco Era Pools Of Light Rock Crystal Necklace 20.5”

[dame-nostalgique]

Close-ups of crystal textures at the Geology Museum in Warsaw 💎

10 IX 2025

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Medieval Reliquary in the Shape of a Three-Legged Fish, from Germany, c.900-1350 CE: this artifact was created as a vessel for the relics of Mary Magdalene

This strange-looking vessel is usually described as a "fish with legs," but some sources refer to it as a "flea-like insect" instead.

The body dates back to the 10th century CE, but the legs were added a few centuries later, likely during the 14th century. The vessel itself was carved from rock crystal (i.e. quartz) while the head, legs, and frame are all made from gilded silver.

As this book describes:

Around 1400, a grotesque animal was created whose rock crystal body, with a simple head and three stilt-like legs, encloses relics of Mary Magdalene in a drilled cylinder.

Apparently, a rock crystal container dating to the 10th century — according to Gerard Lemmens, “an oriental perfume bottle in the shape of a fish," or, according to Henk van Os, specifically one of the coveted Fatimid flacons — was reworked. It appears that the fins of the flacon were ground down slightly on the sides to allow the two twisted metal cords of the holder to fit more closely along the back and belly.

This reliquary was originally commissioned for the nuns of St. Vitus Church, located in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany, where it was meant to serve as a display case for the alleged relics of Mary Magdalene. It was later moved to the nearby Church of St. Martin, which is where it's currently housed.

The vessel contains a piece of parchment that may be wrapped around a human bone (or bone fragment), but the exact nature of that relic remains unclear.

Sources & More Info:

De Gruyter: Dingkulturen (I have a digital copy of this book, so if you want any additional information or excerpts from the text, feel free to message me)

Wikimedia Commons: Fish Reliquary from St. Vitus in Emmerich am Rhein

Schnütgen Museum: Exhibitions: Magic Rock Crystal

Medieval Art on Instagram: Highlights from the Rock Crystal Exhibition at Schnütgen Museum

[blondebrainpowered]

Reliquary in the shape of a three-legged fish, from Germany, ca. 900-1350 CE.

Crafted from rock crystal and silver-gilt, and it was designed as a vessel for relics of Mary Magdalene.

[dozydawn]

“Egg pendant crafted from natural rock crystal and decorated with inlay of tiny rubies. This exquisite piece is attributed to one of Fabergé’s most prominent and celebrated jewelers, Henrik Wigström.”

[allaboutrings]

Estate 18k Gold Diamond and Rock Crystal Ring

[arthistoryanimalia]

Lizard, 2nd-3rd c. CE

Gallo-Roman; excavated at Cortil-Noirmont (Belgium)

Rock crystal, H 2.6 x L 10.5 cm

Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire / Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis B000501-022

“Some opulent women’s tombs in the Rhine-Meuse region contain luxurious jewellery and figures sculpted in precious materials that were considered magical or therapeutic in ancient times.

The lizard, whose alert pose has been deftly rendered, is fashioned from a single piece of very pure hyaline quartz, symbolizing the eternal ice that would protect the deceased when crossing the Pyriphlegethon, the flaming river of Hades.”

[holycosmolo9y]

An Egyptian rock crystal of a chonky hinpopotamus amulet

(Middle Kingdom, ca. 2050-1650 BCE)

Amulets were worn by ancient Egyptians for their protective and regenative properties. Used in both in daily life and during funerary rites, amulets represented animals, deities, symbols or objects thought to possess the magical powers of warding off evil spirits.

As animals were popular representations, the hippopotamus was known for its apotropaic (e.g. ability to avert bad luck) qualities and was associated with rebirth.