An exquisite 7th-century silver, gold and garnet disc brooch discovered in Rostock on Germany’s Baltic coast has been hailed as one of the most important finds of 2024. It was discovered by a metal detector volunteer from the National Office of Culture and Monuments exploring a protected area near the small town of Rees.

Brooch made of gold-plated silver with garnet cloisonné. The cloisonné (the wire unit inlaid with garnets) has gold foil on the back, and the very hard garnet gemstone is precisely cut to fit the cloisonné. The foil backing gives the stone extra depth and shine. Cloisonné garnets are arranged in a decorative pattern that looks like a geometric entwining snake around the perimeter of an oval. The cells are rectangular, curved on the outside, and terminate in a kite-shaped garnet – the head of a snake. The front of the head is a garnet cabochon instead of flat cloisonné. There were originally four, one in front of each “head”, but only two survived. Four cloisonne stones are arranged in a semicircle, each side curving from cabochon to cabochon. A single cloisonné connects the two semicircles in the center of the brooch.

Jewelry like this was prohibitively expensive and, at the time this brooch was made, was the exclusive domain of the Germanic elite during the Great Migration. Only 11 brooches of this style have been found in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

This brooch was considered very valuable. Items such as costume brooches came mainly from the Rhineland and Sweden, where they were found in particularly richly decorated noble tombs. Precious jewelry found in the music video raises questions. How did this piece arrive on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg? Was there a wealthy upper class in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern during the immigration period, which was considered a difficult time?