Ancient Roman Necklaces

In Ancient Rome, jewelry was big part of the society. Ancient Roman necklaces were only worn by the ladies, while men only wore a single ring or sometimes multiple rings on each hand. Much of the jewelry including necklaces was inspired by areas that the Romans captured. Yet the earliest Roman necklaces came from Hellenistic and Etruscan influences.

Roman necklaces were made from glass beads and stones. The glass beads were often very colorful and vibrant. Popular stones included pearl, emerald, topaz, ruby and sapphire. Gold was also used to produce Roman necklaces. The gold was melted and shaped into elaborate designs of animals and flowers.

The higher the standing a lady had in Roman society, the more exquisite the necklace was. These expensive and luxurious pieces were ornamental in design. It was also common for Roman necklaces to include talismans, amulets and seals rings. Even more interesting is that the necklaces were not only worn around the neck but on the hands, arms and ears as well.

In terms of jewelry during Roman times, was not so different from jewelry in modern time. Of course there are some exceptions to the design, wear and style. And then there's custom for necklaces being worn by only women. But as a whole, all women wore jewelry including Roman necklaces. Depending on one's social standing or income, would determine the detail and material used for the necklace. The more you could afford, the more stunning the necklace was. But to our modern eyes, even the cheapest necklace from Ancient Rome is considered a beautiful work of art.