Apart from gold and other precious metals, the Roman Empire used glass to create jewelry. Their precious jewelry gives us a comprehension of their culture and civilization. Just like other ancient societies, Rome also had its unique strata of interpersonal classes. In Roman civilization, jewelry was used to show an individual’s cultural status rather than beautification.
Jewelers and artisans used gold to chisel the adornments, as it was considered a precious metal from the gods and was supposed to have originated from the Sun. The Roman Empire was conscious of its attire and jewelry; it created different methods to maintain its jewelry by cleaning and polishing it with natural substances and liquids.
The influence of the Egyptians and Greeks on Roman jewelry
Eventually, the impression of Egyptian tradition on ancient Roman artistry and jewelry came to light. An excellent example of the innate influence of Egyptian and Greek ethnicities on Roman styles is the Herakles Knot, which was used to protect the wearer from the evil eye. Ancient Rome became an empire when it defeated the Mediterranean region, Egypt, Europe, and North America, among other areas; this triggered the inclusion of different concepts of the aforementioned civilizations in Rome.
At some stage during the rule of Augustus, a leadership of serenity known as Pax Roman became popular in Mediterranean regions and the European countries and contributed to developing a productive artistic industry, making precious historical jewelry, especially glass designs, more popular.
Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. (Image: via Wikimedia Commons)
Apart from gold, the materials used in jewelry creation were Roman glass, bronze, precious gems, and bone beads, which were gouged from remote areas such as the Indus Valley, the Far East, Persia, and many others. Sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds discovered their way from the Silk Road to Roman territory to pacify this civilization’s mighty and rich.
Rings
Romans loved to wear big rings — these exposed the wearer’s status and drew the people’s attention. A gold ring usually embedded a big Roman glass or gemstone, which was typically donned by the bureaucrats and Senators.
The ordinary individuals known as the Plebeians were authorized to use only rings made of metal. On the other hand, a few Plebeians have honored the authority to own a golden ring for exceptional service to the state or bravery. However, such strict rules were progressively settled during the leadership of Justinian I. Women of all ages of ancient Rome were more prone to use multiple rings of different designs and materials on their fingers without the restrictions of social classes.
A woman’s ring found in Aquincum, a 2nd-4th-century Roman village in present-day Hungary. (Image: Bjoertvedt via Wikimedia Commons)
The brooch
Yet another popular and most valuable piece of jewelry in that era was the brooch. The purpose was to add pieces to clothing and bring elegance to the outfit. Rather than stitching attire, Romans preferred to attach them with clasps made of precious metals and gold or a fibula (a clothing brooch). Fibulas were embellished with a chiseled stone, mainly cameo portraits and other popular styles.
Bracelets
Bracelets the same shape as coiling snakes (which were secured by gold hooks) were usually noticed on the fingers of Roman women. The very design of the coiling snake was explicitly significant to the Roman empire because it was regarded as a circular animal that seemed to be a flawlessly built living organism, representing immortality. Since bracelets had no practical use, they were used solely for ornamental purposes. Bracelets made of pearls and gold were equally trendy in medieval Rome, and were worn around both wrists.
Amulets
Young children wore amulets known as bulla from birth. These were considered to be protective shields against bad spirits and the evil eye. The bulla was the same shape as a gold string or chain, contained a sack, and had a phallic mark. The Roman Empire believed that men were the best of the two genders. Therefore, to protect the children of this gender, they were required to wear amulets or talismans.
Seal rings
The Roman Empire initiated the concept of seal rings or signet rings, which made it easier for them to mark the seal with hot wax on essential documents. Most of these rings were generally worn by upper-class dominant adult males of the community. Another achievement of this particular ancient Roman span was the rollout of gold coin rings that held the symbol of the dominating Emperor or had the inscribed Roman insignia on them. Roman girls preferred to wear earrings, necklaces, and a variety of armlets. The total quantity of jewelry they wore on a hand or arm was seven or more.
A Roman bronze seal ring with a glass intaglio of a god. (Image: Brigantiayork LTD)
The Roman Empire symbolized people of wealth and power who exhibited their riches through their lifestyle and jewelry. Unfortunately, such a contemporary period didn’t last for very long as greed and corruption crept in and slowly and gradually ate away the building blocks of their contemporary society.
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