For 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire was the most powerful cultural, economic and military force in Europe. In 330 A.D. when Constantine the Great transferred the seat of the Roman Empire to the East in Byzantium (later Constantinople), goldsmiths and lapidaries were introduced to the phenomenal riches and opulence of the Orient. Merging a multitude of great traditions from Greece...read more
For 1,000 years, the Byzantine Empire was the most powerful cultural, economic and military force in Europe. In 330 A.D. when Constantine the Great transferred the seat of the Roman Empire to the East in Byzantium (later Constantinople), goldsmiths and lapidaries were introduced to the phenomenal riches and opulence of the Orient. Merging a multitude of great traditions from Greece and Egypt to the Near East and parts of North Africa and Russia, Byzantine jewelers reached new heights in craftsmanship, creating some of the most opulent and ornate jewelry the world has ever seen.
With an abundance of gold sourced from the empire’s numerous mines, jewelry became as common to daily dress as wearing shoes. Then, as today, jewelry was a status symbol, and the more one wore, the more affluent and important its wearer was perceived to be.
To celebrate this era of wealth and lavishness, we’ve secured the talents of some of the best craftsmen in Italy to create jewelry that marries our favorite precious metals with timeless Italian Byzantine design. And, while these earrings are indeed lavish, the price is not.
