Did the Ancient Greeks and Romans Create Any Jewelry?

The first true examples we have of Ancient Greek jewelry utilize beads shaped in the form of various animals and shells. Around–00 BC the Greeks started to incorporate gold and gemstones into their jewelry designs. By the year 300 BC the Greeks had ventured into the area of colored jewelry utilizing emeralds, amethysts, and pearls. The Greeks also made cameos from a striped brown pink and cream agate stone known as the Indian Sardonyx. Greek jewelry started off with some simple designs (when compared to other cultures of the time) but as time progressed, the designs grew increasingly more complex with varying materials.

Jewelry in Ancient Greece was not worn in the daily lives of the people. It was to be worn during special occasions or while on public appearances. It was a common gift, and women often used it to show off their beauty, social status, and degree of wealth. Jewelry was often deemed to have mystical powers. It was thought to provide the wearer with protection from the “Evil Eye” (i.e.: a look by another person that is thought to send injury or bad luck), or other supernatural powers. Most Greek jewelry of the time was made from gold and silver, with gemstones and ivory, clay and bronze utilized as well.

We know of two types of jewelry that the Ancient Greeks developed. These pieces were: (1) cast jewelry pieces and (2) those pieces made from hammering out sheet metal. Although we have only a few examples of cast jewelry available today, we know that they were made from casting metal onto two moulds (made out of either clay or stone). These moulds were joined together with wax, and molten metal was poured into the center (a common technique that had been passed down from the Ancient Bronze Age). We have more samples of their jewelry that was created by hammering out sheet metal. The process was simple…sheet metal was hammered to the desired thickness, and then soldered together.

The Ancient Romans also had jewelry designs as part of their culture. The brooch, an item used to secure clothing together, was the most common example of early Roman jewelry. The Roman Empire was vast and huge, and the Romans took full advantage of this size, incorporating a diverse range of materials from far and wide. In the earlier years they utilized a lot of glass beads and pearls, but in later years they utilized bronze and bone and gold. Imported sapphires from Sri Lanka and Indian diamond (along with amber and emeralds), were also incorporated into their jewelry designs.

Like their neighbors the Greeks, one of the purposes of Roman jewelry was to ward off the “Evil Eye” given by one’s enemies. Women wore jewelry all over their bodies, but for men, it was often only a ring on the finger. It was expected that Roman men would wear a ring on one finger, but some Roman men wore a ring on every finger, while others wore no jewelry at all.

Learn more about Greek and Roman Jewelry. Stop by Betsy Johnson’s site where you can find out all about beautiful heart jewelry and what it can do for you.