In Ancient Roman society, jewellery was an essential accessory, providing the wearer with a public display of their wealth, social status, and identity. Gold and silver pieces were worn by the wealthier members of Roman society, while bronze and other metals provided a cheaper alternative for lower social classes. Roman jewellery at first followed the trends set by the Etruscans, employing the use of gold and glass beads. As the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, jewellery designs became increasingly elaborate. Many different materials, techniques, and styles were utilised, found across the expanding empire, particularly from Greece, Egypt, North Africa, and the Orient.
Granulation (from the Latin ‘granum’ meaning ‘grain’) was a decorative technique used by ancient jewellers to adhere the miniature gold spheres to the surface of a precious metal. The oldest known examples made with this process date back to 2500BC and were found in the tombs of Ur, in Mesopotamia. From there, the technique spread through Syria and reached its peak with the Etruscans in the 7th-6th centuries BC.
