A large, vintage sterling silver armillary sphere pendant.

c. 1970

Approx Diameter: 5cm

Weight: 21.3g

In the west, the armillary sphere was invented by the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes in approximately 225 BCE; however, it was created by the Chinese astronomers Shi Shen and Gan De in the 4th century BCE.

Armillary sphere, early astronomical device for representing the great circles of the heavens, including in the most elaborate instruments the horizon, meridian, Equator, tropics, polar circles, and an ecliptic hoop. The sphere is a skeleton celestial globe, with circles divided into degrees for angular measurement.