Did the Greeks create their own jewelry? Yes, in fact the first true examples of Ancient Greek Jewelry are pieces which utilized beads shaped in the form of various animals and shells. By–00 B.C. the Greeks had started to incorporate gemstones and gold into their jewelry. By the year 300 B.C they ventured into the area of colored jewelry, utilizing pearls, amethysts, and emeralds as well. They also made cameos from the Indian Sardonyx (a striped down pink and cream agate). In reality, Greek jewelry started off with very simple designs, but they became increasingly more complex and elaborate as time went on.

Jewelry in Ancient Greece was not worn in the daily lives of the people. It was to be worn during special occasions or while on public appearances. It was a common gift, and women often used it to show off their beauty, social status, and degree of wealth. Jewelry was often deemed to have mystical powers. It was thought to provide the wearer with protection from the “Evil Eye” (i.e.: a look by another person that is thought to send injury or bad luck), or other supernatural powers. Most Greek jewelry of the time was made from gold and silver, with gemstones and ivory, clay and bronze utilized as well.

We have examples of two types of jewelry that the Ancient Greeks developed. They were made from (1) cast, and (2) hammering out sheet metal. We have only a few examples of their cast jewelry, but we do know the process that they followed. The process had been passed down since the Ancient Bronze Age, and involved joining moulds together with wax, and pouring molten metal into the center of the mould. We have many more examples of their “sheet metal” jewelry. This process meant hammering out sheet metal until it reached the desired thickness, then soldering the various pieces together to create jewelry.

Let’s fast forward to the time of the Ancient Romans. Brooches, which were used to secure their clothing together, were very common at the time. The Roman Empire, being very vast and huge at the time, was something that the Romans took full advantage of. They incorporated the various materials that they were able to obtain from the far reaches of their Empire. They used quite a bit of glass beads and pearls in their early years, but later on they incorporated bronze, bone, and gold. They were also known to have used Indian diamonds, amber, and emeralds, as well as Sri Lankan sapphires into their various jewelry designs.

Following in the tradition of their brothers the Ancient Greeks, they too believed that jewelry could be used to ward off the “Evil Eye” that might be cast from one’s enemies. It was common for women to wear jewelry all over their bodies, but men would usually only wear a ring on the finger. While it was expected that Roman men would wear a ring on the finger, the number of rings, and number of fingers used, was left up to individual preference.

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