In the cemetery of Mochlos, an island close to the northern shore of Crete, there was accidentally found a treasure of jewels which offer us an excellent picture of the goldsmith’s work, during the third millenium. Of exceptional importance is the diadem, with free-standing antennae. This allows us to reconstruct the form of similar artefacts that were found before previous finds and to revise our views on funeral masks. The influence of this type of diadem is evident in paintings and terracotta figurines of the late minoan period. Gold, which was rare at the time, must have been imported from Asia Minor or Egypt, although the possibility that small quantities also existed in Crete cannot be ruled out.