Excavated Roman Glass & Pearl Bracelet

$1800.00

A grounded piece of white, earthy armour from history. Old stone like Roman Glass, that has sat in the earth since 15BC, mineralised in the soil and turned monochrome - Roman Glass was sold during the days of the Silk Road and more recently, excavated in Afghanistan and brought back to life in this gorgeous historical bracelet with vintage Japanese Rice Pearls.

Excavated Roman Glass Beads, Vintage Japanese Rice Pearls, Gold Filled Clasp

The glass beads in this bracelet are genuine, ancient Roman glass, excavated from archaeological sites across the Levant and Afghanistan, dating from approximately 100 BCE to 400 CE. Once vessels for oils, perfumes, and wine, they were buried beneath centuries of earth and rubble after the fall of the Roman Empire. It is this burial, this long sleep beneath soil and stone, that transformed them. A chemical reaction between the silica glass and minerals in the surrounding earth caused the surface to delaminate over millennia, creating the extraordinary iridescent patina you see today: flashes of teal, gold, and spectral light trapped within a surface that was once clear. They are paired here with luminous vintage rice pearls. Roman jewellery was a symbol of protection and fortune. To wear this bracelet is to hold something that has survived empires.