The Greeks were known for a lot of incredible things, but little is known of their jewelry. The first true examples we have of Ancient Greek Jewelry is pieces that utilize beads shaped in the form of various animals and shells. Around–00 B.C. they started to utilize gemstones and gold into their various jewelry designs. By the time 300 B.C. had rolled around, they had ventured into the area of colored jewelry that utilized amethysts, pearls, and emeralds. They made cameos from a striped down pink and cream agate known as the Indian Sardonyx. As was the case with most cultures, Greek jewelry designs started off simply, but as time progressed, they grew increasingly more elaborate and complex.

Jewelry was a bit of a luxury in the world of Ancient Greeks. It was not worn in the daily lives of people, but during special occasions or while on public appearances. A common gift of the time, it was often used to show off a lady’s beauty, social status, and incredible wealth. It was thought that jewelry had mystical powers, such as protection from the “Evil Eye”. The “Evil Eye” was a look that another person could send your way to bring you injury or bad luck…or so it was thought. Most of the Greek jewelry of this time period was made from silver and gold, with ivory and gemstones, clay and bronze thrown into the mix as well.

We know of two types of jewelry that the Ancient Greeks developed. These pieces were: (1) cast jewelry pieces and (2) those pieces made from hammering out sheet metal. Although we have only a few examples of cast jewelry available today, we know that they were made from casting metal onto two moulds (made out of either clay or stone). These moulds were joined together with wax, and molten metal was poured into the center (a common technique that had been passed down from the Ancient Bronze Age). We have more samples of their jewelry that was created by hammering out sheet metal. The process was simple…sheet metal was hammered to the desired thickness, and then soldered together.

The Ancient Romans were known for a number of things, but their jewelry is not one of them. They were very fond of brooches, an item which they utilized to to hold their clothing together. As the Roman Empire was vast and huge at the time, they took full advantage of it, importing various materials from the far-flung reaches under their control. In the early years they made a lot of their jewelry out of glass beads and pearls, but in later years they incorporated bone, bronze, and gold. Imported sapphires from Sri Lanka were also popular. They also used Indian diamonds, emeralds, and amber, as well as Sri Lankan sapphires.

The Ancient Romans followed the belief set by the Ancient Romans, and felt that jewelry could be used to ward off the “Evil Eye” (a wish from one’s enemies that could bring injury or other harm). Women often wore jewelry all over their bodies, while men often only wore a ring on one of their fingers. Some men used their own personal taste and wore a number of rings on a number of fingers.

If you want to find out more about heart jewelry or open heart jewelry, then visit Betsy Johnson’s blogs.