Roman Gold Pendant Earrings with Garnets

£ 1,500.00

A matching pair of Roman gold earrings, each featuring a hollow hoop attached with a ring and granule. A drop pendant dangles, decorated with an inset garnet cabochon, a lentoid garnet bead and finally a glass bead finial.

Stand not included with items.

Date: Circa 2nd - 3rd century AD
Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously in an important Mayfair, London, UK collection, acquired in the 1970s.
Condition: Excellent.

SOLD

SKU: AH-845 Category: Tag:

During The Roman Empire jewellery became quickly a fundamental and essential social display of wealth. Following the spread of the Roman Empire, Roman jewellery became more and more elaborate in the designs and in the materials used. Semi-precious gemstones, such as garnet, were used to enrich and embellish earrings, rings and necklaces. In Ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Hades gave pomegranate seeds to his lover Persephone, as a token of safety, while she was leaving the underworld to join her mother Demeter in the human world. The semi-precious stone garnet, recalling the colour and the shape of the pomegranate seed, became a typical gift exchanged between separated lovers.

To discover more about the meanings of gemstones and semi-precious gemstones in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: The History and Mythology of Gemstones in Ancient Jewellery.

Weight 15.42 g
Dimensions L 6.5 cm
Culture

Glass

Metal

Region

Semi-Precious Stones

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