Tanit Collection
A rich tapestry of centuries past is woven through the Tanit Collection, the signature universe of Sassi Fine Jewellery. The collection is a long-term exploration of history, art history, numismatics and contemporary design. Shaped by ancient coins and intaglios that have survived time and travelled across millennia to reach us, Tanit is defined by the power of their images, the distinction of their histories and the women they depict. Each artefact is sourced from established numismatic dealers and auction houses. Every jewel begins as an act of curation. Preserved entirely in its original state, the artefact is set within a meaningful architectural frame that protects the object, clarifies its image and heightens its presence. The setting frames rather than transforms. Made by master goldsmiths, each piece is singular. Scholarship and craftsmanship remain inseparable, while the woman who wears the jewel becomes the modern custodian of an object whose history continues through her.
The Jewellery Editor
“Built around authentic ancient coins and intaglios, each one-of-a-kind creation preserves its artefact in its original state, framing rather than transforming it.”
Tanit Collar Necklace
The Tanit Collar Necklace begins with a remarkable detail: the necklace worn by the goddess on an ancient Carthaginian gold coin is here reimagined as the jewel itself. In gold, mother-of-pearl and grey diamonds, the image unfolds into a contemporary form, while the coin remains the sovereign centre of the piece.
Women of Power
For the Tanit Collection, we select ancient images of women for the power of their presence and the distinction of their histories. Goddesses, queens, nymphs, and personifications are chosen for the identity they project and the histories they carry. Far rarer than depictions of gods or male rulers, they preserve features of individuality that can still be recognised.
The Tanit Rotating Ring
A rare witness from a pivotal era where the power of Carthage met the Italian peninsula. This ring features a silver quarter shekel from the late 3rd century BCE, wreathed in granulated 18-carat yellow gold and grey diamonds. Its rotating design invites an intimate interaction with history, allowing you to turn the stone to reveal either the goddess Tanit or the iconic Carthaginian horse.
Tanit Necklace
This necklace returns the narrative to the North African heartland of Carthage during the closing years of the Second Punic War. Struck in bronze between 203 and 201 BCE, the coin reflects a period of intense mobilisation and the resilience of an empire under pressure.
Sinope Earrings
A tribute to the unconquered spirit of the Black Sea. These earrings feature rare silver hemidrachms from the 4th century BCE, depicting the nymph Sinope. Wave-like 18-carat yellow gold and the neon-blue glow of Paraíba tourmalines recall the mastery of the tides and the strength of independence.
Melissae Earrings
The Melissae Earrings take their name from the priestesses of Artemis, known as the Melissae, or bees. The bee itself appears on silver drachms struck at Ephesos. These earrings bring the sacred world of the Artemision to life with gold, honeycomb openwork, and honey-coloured heliodor cabochons.
Kyle Roderick @bijouxreview
The “Tanit” collection by Sassi Fine Jewellery is designed by art historian Renilde Vervoort, Ph.D., and her daughter Hannah. Their creations are informed by Renilde’s historical research and Hannah’s architectural studies, blending history and design seamlessly.
Rasad Stellate Ring
A rare and enigmatic Fatimid gold quarter dinar of the celebrated stellate type lies at the origin of this ring. Struck in Palermo during the years shaped by the powerful queen-mother Rasad al-Muʿizz, its design unites celestial knowledge with a religious vision of order and harmony. Mother-of-pearl and grey diamonds prolong that language in a contemporary composition of soft light and quiet distinction.
Jewels of History Tell Contemporary Tales
Every Tanit creation weaves together history, art and craftsmanship, setting an ancient coin or intaglio within a contemporary frame conceived in response to its image, form and history. Guided by Dr. Renilde Vervoort’s profound knowledge and expertise as an art historian, these artefacts, spanning millennia, are meticulously researched and paired with bespoke designs that honour their historical significance. Every Tanit piece is individually numbered and engraved with the coin’s origin, date, and the figure depicted, while a certificate of authenticity provides detailed insights into its remarkable history. By preserving and sharing these artefacts, we become their custodians, safeguarding and cherishing an unbroken chain of history for generations to come. Each wearer recognises herself in her piece, forging a deeply personal connection that transforms it into a symbol of her identity, strength, and individuality.
Venus Earrings
The Venus Earrings celebrate the timeless elegance of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, often associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. This exquisite pair features two silver coins minted in 82 BCE, set in a stylised design inspired by the flowing curves of the scallop shell, a symbol of her mythical birth.
Kyle Roderick in Forbes
“Characterised by clean, refined silhouettes that unite the power of the past with the poetry of the present, all Sassi jewels, including the Tanit collection, are both historically important and of great interest. The Tanit collection holds particular appeal for female self-purchasers, feminist baby boomers, feminist millennials, and women shopping for daughters and female friends.”
Arethusa Bracelet
The Arethusa Bracelet features the oldest coin in the current Tanit collection: a bronze Hemilitron from 400 BCE. Celebrating the mythology of ancient Syracuse, this timeless piece highlights the role of Arethusa and the city’s rich cultural heritage, set in a contemporary, elegant design.
Venus Earrings
The Venus earrings hold two silver denarii minted in 82 BCE, each bearing the image of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty and counterpart of the Greek Aphrodite. The 18-carat gold setting follows the fluid curves of a scallop shell, recalling the goddess’s birth from the sea and the shell long associated with her image.
Tanit Signet Ring
This sculptural ring features a 4th-century BCE bronze coin from Sardinia, held within a rotating 18-carat rose gold bezel. The matte, brushed finish invites the touch, while a simple turn reveals the quiet power of Tanit or the lush imagery of a horse and palm tree.
Artemis Soteira Bracelet
At the heart of the Artemis Soteira Bracelet lies a bronze coin from ancient Syracuse, depicting the goddess as “Soteira,” the Saviour. A crescent of gold and diamonds traces her lunar power, a contemporary reflection of her protective light and guardianship.
Seals of Identity
In the ancient Mediterranean, intaglios served as personal seals, used to authenticate letters and secure documents. Cut in reverse, these engraved stones revealed their full image only when pressed into wax or clay, functioning as a signature that conveyed authority and identity.
In Sassi’s creations, the intaglio is treated with the same respect as our ancient coins. The gold imprint taken from the carving is essential: it shows how the image once lived in its time, linking the intaglio to its original purpose. Gemstone, imprint, and contemporary design together form a quiet dialogue between past and present, carried forward by its modern custodian.
Fortuna Necklace
This Roman carnelian intaglio of the first century depicts Fortuna, goddess of luck and fate, holding her cornucopia and rudder. Set in an 18-carat rose gold bezel with fine granulation and a polished outline, its imprint recalls an ancient seal once used to seek the goddess’s favour.
Kyle Roderick in Forbes
“…all Sassi jewels, including the Tanit collection, are both historically important and of great interest.”
Nikè Earrings
A shift from the public city coin to the private seal. This pair brings together a 3rd-century BCE carnelian intaglio and its mirror-image impression cast in gold. It is a celebration of Nikè, the spirit of victory, and the ancient art of the personal signature.
The Frame
In the Tanit Collection, each setting is conceived as a frame: a jewel shaped in response to the artefact it holds. Rather than competing with the ancient coin, it follows its contours, scale, and character, giving meaning to the image and structure to its presence. Proportions, lines, and materials are guided by the coin itself, creating a deliberate balance between antiquity and contemporary design.
Each frame is shaped with purpose: it protects the coin, allows both sides to remain visible, and deepens the reading of the object without diminishing its age. In this meeting of past and present, the frame becomes the means by which the artefact is given renewed presence.
Nikè Bracelet
The Nikè Bracelet honours the goddess of victory, blending ancient symbolism with timeless design. This exquisite piece features a rare silver denarius, carefully paired with Nikè’s iconic wing to create a meaningful and wearable connection to history.
Demeter Ring
The Demeter Ring centres on a 20 mm silver stater from the ancient Greek city of Metapontion, minted around 400–350 BCE. The obverse bears the image of Demeter, while the reverse shows the ear of barley that served as the city’s emblem. Set in frosted 18-carat yellow gold and bordered by thirty-five grey sapphires, the ring carries the agricultural identity of the ancient colony into a contemporary form.
Craftsmanship Rooted in Respect
At the heart of the Tanit Collection lies an absolute respect for the artistry of ancient civilisations. We preserve each coin in its authentic state, leaving its patina, texture and physical integrity unaltered. The custom-made gold framework follows the individual contours of the artefact, ensuring that both faces remain fully visible. Free from passing fashion, each jewel creates a tangible connection between the ancient world and its present custodian.
Arethusa Bracelet
The Arethusa bracelet centres on the oldest coin in the current Tanit collection: a bronze hemilitron struck in Syracuse around 400 BCE. The coin bears the image of Arethusa, the nymph of the spring on Ortygia, whose story became inseparable from the identity of ancient Syracuse. The 18-carat gold setting gives the ancient image a strong contemporary presence.
Hervé Dewintre in Le Point
”[The Tanit Collection] highlights antique pieces celebrating the power of women: the profiles of the goddesses Tanit, Nikè, Diane or Demeter stand out on jewellery of remarkable craftsmanship.”
Persephone Necklace
A bronze coin from third-century BCE Syracuse portrays Persephone crowned with grain and poppy, guardian of the island’s seasons. Set in 18-carat rose gold with side-set black diamonds and a dark-rhodium silver chain, the pendant traces the quiet rhythm of the seasons.
Treasures That Found Their Custodian
The Tanit pieces bridge eras, carrying the histories of ancient civilisations into the lives of their present custodians. Each coin or intaglio has travelled across centuries before finding the woman who will wear it and continue its story. In her life, the ancient image acquires new associations, linked to a milestone, a memory, a place or a meaning known intimately to her. Some pieces come to be regarded as companions or talismans, carrying a sense of protection, intuition or presence.
The value of these one-of-a-kind jewels lies beyond the rarity of their materials. It resides in the art, history and human presence held within each artefact, and in the personal significance that gathers around it through the life of its custodian.
