Ancient Greek jewelry included a number of items worn by men and women alike. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and armbands were popular options. People also wore pins, pendants, bands, rings on their fingers and wreaths. Diadems were also popular, as were ornaments created to wear in the hair. There’s some historical evidence to prove that some pieces were created for individuals to wear only after they died, while other pieces were worn for celebrations and other important events.
During the ancient period, gold was the most often chosen metal. Artisans often chose brighter gems and stones to use in combination with the gold such as sardonyx and garnets. Some gems were chosen based on the properties the Greeks believed they possessed, like choosing chalcedony or crystal for its healing powers. They also chose carnelians, which many associated with royalty. Other gems included pearls, emeralds, garnets and agates. These gems were often placed in an elaborate setting inside the jewelry.
Ancient Greek jewelry also used elements of nature in the designs. Animal scenes were often depicted in the piece such as dolphins used in bracelets and armbands. They also used plants in their designs, using leaves or flowers on rings and hair ornaments. There were some pieces created to show a reverence for Greek gods. Historians have found earrings that depicted gods and goddesses such as Zeus and Aphrodite.
The pieces were often created with strong craftsmanship because they were meant to be used for years. Unlike contemporary jewelry, which is often updated every year, these pieces were used for decades. A mother may have passed along her decorative pieces to her daughters, while fathers passed pieces to their sons. There are some pieces that were also left behind in temples and sanctuaries as gifts to the god or goddess. At the temple for the prophet Delos, archaeologists have found a number of different pieces left behind by the ancient Greeks.
During the Hellenistic period, ancient Greek jewelry was often made of iron, bronze and silver. Gold wasn’t as readily available because the Persians blocked the import and export of the material, but a few examples of gold jewelry have been found. The Greeks did trade and sell some of their jewelry with other cultures during this period, resulting in examples found in far away areas. By the Classical period, the Greeks had turned to enamel work and many of the pieces used a combination of gold and enamel. They also began using a number of figures in the pieces, not only gods and goddesses, but also regular human and animal figures.
There’s also evidence that the ancient Greeks used hammering and wire in their gold work. With hammering, the design was drawn onto the piece of gold, and hammers of different sizes and shapes were then pounded against the piece to create the final design. The artist then added gemstones and jewels to the piece. With wire work, thin layers of metal were twisted and heated together and then shaped into the final design. There were some artists who used wire pieces and hammering in combination to design the final piece.
Find out more information on ancient Greek jewelry:
Greek Jewelry Five Thousand Years of Tradition
Drawings of Ancient Greek Jewelry
Jewelry in Costume and Fashion History
The Luxuriously Rich History of Ancient Jewelry