 Christianity discouraged the burial of grave goods so the majority of examples of insular metalwork that survive from the Christian period have been found in archaeological contexts that suggest they were rapidly hidden , lost or abandoned . There are a few exceptions , notably portable shrines ( " <unk> " ) for books or relics , several of which have been continuously owned , mostly by churches on the Continent — though the <unk> <unk> has always been in Scotland . The highest quality survivals are either secular jewellery , the largest and most elaborate pieces probably for male <unk> , <unk> or <unk> . The finest church pieces were probably made by secular workshops , often attached to a royal household , though other pieces were made by monastic workshops . There are a number of large brooches , each of their designs is wholly individual in detail , and the workmanship is varied . Many elements of the designs can be directly related to elements used in manuscripts . Surviving stones used in decoration are semi @-@ precious ones , with amber and rock crystal among the <unk> , and some <unk> . <unk> glass , enamel and <unk> glass , probably imported , are also used . None of the major insular manuscripts , like the Book of Kells , have preserved their elaborate jewelled metal covers , but documentary evidence indicates that these were as spectacular as the few remaining continental examples . 
