So great was the jeweled extravagance of the late Republic that Cato the Censor (234-149 B.C.) sought by legislation to limit the amount of jewelry one might wear. He also restricted the use of metal in rings, assigning iron, silver, or gold according to rank. Gold was reserved for the official ring of the Senator, which he himself might wear only when on duty. Naturally such restrictions could not be binding for long. Censorship usually produces an exaggeration of what it has tried to curb. In the early days of the Empire everyone worth his salt manifested his worth with adornments.
The citizens favored bright colors in their jewels: reds, yellows, blues. The drivers at the chariot races wore different colors; spectators bet on the red, the yellow, or the blue, and many a precious stone changed hands according to the speed of the horses and the drivers’ skill. If a lapidary could not secure precious stones large enough, or in quantities to meet the ever increasing demand, he made imitations of colored glass. Although Pliny cried out against the practice of making false gems, the usual purchaser had few tests to show when he was cheated.
1. GREEK EARRINGS, 5TH CENTURY B.C. Wrought in gold, these ancient loops end in lions’ heads. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
2. CYPRIOTE PENDANT, 8TH CENTURY B.C. This gold pendant with chains is an excellent example of the simple beauty found in the jewelry of ancient Cyprus. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
3. EARLY 18TH CENTURY ITALIAN BROOCH. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)