The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, for it provided a public display of their wealth. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads. However, as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, so too did jewellery designs which became increasingly elaborate. Different cultural styles from Greece, Egypt, North Africa, and the Orient were all incorporated to reflect Rome’s prosperity as a dominant, conquering city. Pearls were seen as highly prestigious and were originally only worn by royalty or of those with nobility. They were associated with the Roman goddess Venus, also known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology, goddess of love and beauty. There are many myths including pearls with Venus, for example, the tears or joy she shed were pearls while another states that when she was born from a shell, the water drops that were on her turned into pearls.
To find out more about the different decorative metal works, please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques.
