Ancient Roman Earrings

Jewelry and especially earrings are not a new concept, as early as 79AD Roman women were wearing ancient roman earrings and other jewelry such bangles, beads, and rings as is depicted in many of the paintings and sculptures from that era. Theirs was a culture blessed with access to diverse natural materials which found their way into many pieces of jewelry.

Pierced or Clips

You might think that pierced ears are a new invention as well, but some evidence shows that Roman women wore a variety of pierced earrings. It can be a bit difficult to tell in the various paintings from that time period but the sculptures tell the true tale. There are a few surviving ancient Roman sculptures that clearly depict women with pierced ears. Of course, as in today's society it is safe to assume that some women wore clip ons as well.

Metals

As today, gold was a favored metal used in ancient Roman earrings and jewelry. The vast trade routes Rome had access to allowed them to acquire all the supplies they would need to create beautiful jewelry. Romans also used a material known as electrum, which is an alloy of platinum, silver and gold with a bit of copper and other trace minerals. This substance was plentiful in the region of ancient Lydia.

Stones

A favored stone for ancient roman earrings was the pearl. They were also fond of the emerald, peridot, jasper and onyx from regions all around. Many different stones could be crafted into ancient Roman earrings but according to many of the Fayum Mummy Portraits the pearl reigned supreme, particularly among the well to do Roman women.

Who Wore

Men of ancient Rome did not wear earrings or much adornment at all, most of the time they only wore a single ring. This ring served double duty to impress upon hot wax and seal important documents. Women on the other hand wore a wide array of jewelry; of course, this would be reserved for only the well-heeled female members of society. In some ancient cultures, piercing and jewelry were so strictly regulated that a peasant with a belly button piercing would be executed, this practice was well known in ancient Egypt.

Hoops

Would it surprise you to know that the hoop earring was created in ancient Rome about 300 BC? Hoop earrings quickly became a favorite among Roman aristocracy and were decorated and adorned with many mythical creatures including the maenad, Greek God Eros as well as animals and slaves.

Conclusion

The more things change the more they stay the same, you might begin to wonder if there is anything truly new under the sun! Ancient Roman earrings prove that not much has changed when it comes to adorning the human body. Even without the benefit of electricity and other modern conveniences, these ancient people managed to create very beautiful earrings and jewelry.