The term “magical gem” is used in modern archaeology to designate the most elaborate type of amulet from the Roman Imperial Period. Carved from precious stones 1 to 3 centimetres across, these gems were produced primarily from the 1st to the 3rd century AD. They were worn as jewellery and believed to provide their owners with health, prosperity, and love. Their shapes largely follow Graeco-Roman glyptic traditions, though Mesopotamian and Egyptian influences are also present. What makes them distinctive is their rich repertoire of engravings: special iconography (such as the Anguipes or Chnoubis), magical signs (characteres), and magical names (voces and logoi). These elements are typically combined with two structural features: engravings usually cover both sides of the gem, and often even run along the edge. Unlike ordinary carved gems, their inscriptions are written directly rather than in mirror script.

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