The mass production of glass in Ancient Rome explains the common use of this material in jewellery-making. The ageing process of glass endows Roman glass jewellery with unique qualities. For instance, contaminants manufactured into the glass, combined with the surrounding environment over thousands of years, result in beautiful iridescence and speckling, where the glass might formerly have been transparent.
Glass pendants, would have been worn by Romans as good fortune charms to bring good luck and ward off the evil. Iconographies were extremely differentiated, including apotropaic symbols, images of deities and animals.
To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog posts: Ancient Glass and Collecting Roman Glass.
