Gold is literally stardust, formed when two stars collide. It has an otherworldly glow and a beauty that humans have been drawn to since the beginning of history. In ancient cultures around the world, gold was sacred and associated with the gods. Across time, gold jewelry has also been a means of bestowing wealth—not only as offerings for the gods but also as heirlooms for future generations.

The lunar crescent is one of the oldest amulets worn continuously over 4000 years of human history. Associated with the waxing and waning of the moon, the crescent represented growth, regeneration, and renewal. This connection with the lunar cycle also linked the crescent to the feminine. Over time, the crescent symbol became a powerful amulet believed to have protective powers.

Ancient Romans of all classes, men and women, owned jewelry. However, archaeologists have very little evidence about how and why jewelry was actually worn in everyday life. A rare exception is the Roman jewelry found in Pompeii and other sites buried in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. 

In the ancient world, jewelry was imbued with power. Ancient jewelry was often worn as an amulet, protecting the wearer against evil, illness, and misfortune and conferring health, strength, and prosperity. By evoking the beauty and the power of the natural and spiritual worlds, ancient jewelry reminds us of the hopes and fears we all share.

Chains were an essential component of ancient jewelry, despite the significant amount of time, skill, and gold required. Almost meditative in its construction and form, a chain holds within it the fundamental and universal concepts of repetition, iteration, and infinity. For more than 4000 years, chains have served as connectors—of jewelry, of meaning, and of history.

The oldest piece of jewelry ever found is a necklace made of mollusc shells, strung together by humans during the Stone Age 75,000 years ago. Archaeologists theorize that these early strands of shells may represent the first evidence of artistic creativity, language, and even symbolism among humans. For the first time, humans began communicating complex meaning through objects – specifically, through jewelry.