Up to 2,000 items from the museum’s storerooms were reported lost, stolen, or damaged in August.
The was informed by interim director Sir Mark Jones that the recovery process was “lengthy” and “complicated”. He disclosed that 356 articles had been recovered thus far from six distinct sources.
Rediscovering Gems is an exhibition that currently has ten of them.
Among the small objects are two old gems: one, which dates from the first century BC and depicts the Greek god Zeus in the eagle form, and the other, which is a piece of green, white, and blue banded glass and features the Roman god of wine and pleasure, Bacchus.
The great bulk of the artifacts that have been found have come from Dr. Ittai Gradel, a Danish gemstone trader who first informed the museum about the thefts in 2021.
Dr. Gradel told the BBC that they were “direct evidence of the tastes, the foibles, the quirks, and the mentality of the ancient Romans—a way to get to know these long-dead people.”.
He continued: “That view into their mindsets never ceases to fascinate me.”
For ages, people were in fierce competition to acquire gems, whether they were cast in glass or etched in stone. This was especially true in the 18th century. They were pricey as well.
The museum’s rehabilitation program curator, Aurelia Masson-Berghoff, stated that one of the Marlborough Dukes had once purchased one “instead of buying a small palace in Venice.” They cost the same amount.
