Roman Glass Jewelry: Jewish Jewelry with a Piece of History

Antique jewelry pieces are greatly treasured because they represent a kind of craftsmanship that shall never be seen again. They also hold an intrinsic beauty that is partly ethereal and totally unique. Roman glass jewelry pieces, while not exactly antiques, carry within them a part of ancient history which makes them truly valuable.

Roman Glass Jewelry pieces come in many shapes and styles. It is not uncommon for a store selling Jewish jewelry to have a Roman glass necklace, a pair of Roman glass earrings and Roman glass rings among their jewelry lines. Even though jewelry with Roman glass are not Judaica, they are still examples of excellent Jewish craftsmanship.

A Brief History of Roman Glass Jewelry

What makes Roman glass jewelry so special? History tells us that glassmaking originated in ancient Phoenicia, where modern-day Syria is now located. When Rome conquered Phoenicia, they adopted glassmaking as their own and spread the use of glass to the rest of its provinces. Glass was then typically made into containers and vessels, and those made before the time of the Roman Republic were thick and colored.

However, at the peak of the Roman Empire, glassmaking enjoyed technological advances that allowed glassmakers to create thin and translucent glass. Such quality of glass was highly prized by the rich and the noble, and women of the upper classes throughout the vast Roman Empire adorned themselves with Roman glass jewelry. Roman glass was even traded in faraway places such as China and India.

Today, many archaeological sites in the deserts of Israel have yielded enormous quantities of ancient Roman glass shards. Since these glass shards cannot be restored to their original form and cannot be displayed in museums, they instead found their way in the modern jewel-crafting industry of Israel. These glass shards are treated as if they are gemstones, carefully cut and fitted into gold and silver settings. These jewelry pieces fitted with Roman glass are so beautiful that there is a high demand for them all over the world.

The Uniqueness of Roman Glass Jewelry

There are a number of reasons why jewelry with Roman glass is treasured across the world. Here are some reasons behind the popularity of Roman glass jewelry.

1. They are simply beautiful. Most of the Roman glass shards found in the archaeological digs in Israel is colored vivid sky blue. They are delicate and translucent, pretty enough to have a gemstone-like appearance when polished. These Roman glass shards look very lovely against a sterling silver setting.

2. Roman glass jewelry is a piece of history. The unearthed Roman glass shards have been in existence for two thousand years. Whoever buys jewelry featuring Roman glass shards, perhaps Roman glass necklaces, gets to own something that has been held people of ancient Rome. Those who fancy themselves as scholars or amateur historians would be thrilled to hold a piece of history in their hands, a reminder of the glorious past.

3. Buying jewelry with Roman glass is like participating in a recycling program. According to sources, the Romans recycled broken glass. Glassmakers melted broken glass shards to form new glass. Roman glass may not be precious gemstones, but disposing of them as we would our ordinary glass bottles would be a great shame. Using Roman glass as components of jewelry is almost like recycling them.

As beautiful as Roman glass jewelry are, especially as Jewish jewelry, you should always remember to buy only the genuine article. There are many antique dealers and jewelry sellers out there that sell jewelry with fake Roman glass. A genuine piece of Roman glass jewelry is always accompanied with a certificate of authenticity.