Lunula necklace, Roman, 1st century CE (Walters Art Museum)

The lunar crescent is one of the oldest motifs in jewelry, appearing continuously for more than 4,000 years. Over time, the symbol evolved as ancient traditions adapted to different contexts. By Roman times, crescent-shaped pendants were worn widely by women and girls as protective amulets.

Associated with the waxing and waning of the moon, the crescent symbolized growth, regeneration, and renewal. Its connection with the lunar cycle also linked it to the feminine, particularly the concepts of birth and rebirth.

Scholars have found evidence of crescent amulets as early as the fourth millennium BCE in Mesopotamia. In the Babylonian creation epic the Enuma Elish, the god Marduk calls the moon “the jewel of the night.” Some of the earliest crescent-shaped jewelry comes from this region of Western Asia.

The 4,500-year-old jewelry discovered in the Royal Cemetery of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia includes some of the earliest known examples of advanced goldsmithing techniques still used today, including granulation, woven chains, and filigree. Several large lunate earrings were found in the tomb of Queen Puabi, so large that they may have been worn over the ear rather than through it.

Large lunate earrings, Tomb of Queen Puabi, Ur, 2600-2450 BCE (Penn Museum)

Crescent shapes formed from sheet gold were also discovered in the earliest settlement layers at Troy, dating from around 3000–2500 BCE. These may have been worn as part of jewelry or sewn onto clothing. Similar forms appear throughout later Greek and Roman periods in Anatolia.

Crescent-shaped pendants, Ephesus, 700-500 BCE (Istanbul Archaeological Museum)

In ancient Greece, beginning in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE and continuing through the Hellenistic period, crescent pendants were commonly worn as pendants. Many examples are decorated with granulation and other intricate goldwork. As protective charms, these pendants were typically worn with the points of the crescent facing downward.

Greek lunula pendant, Hellenistic Period, ca. 3rd century BCE (Christie’s)

In Roman times the crescent pendant was called a lunula, meaning “little moon” in Latin. It became one of the most popular amulets worn by Roman women and girls, believed to protect against the evil eye, illness, and misfortune. Lunula pendants are often found suspended from woven loop-in-loop chains or figure-of-eight chains.

Gold necklace with crescent-shaped pendant, Roman, 1st–3rd century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Many examples of these gold amulets have been discovered across the Roman Empire, including in and around Pompeii. Women wearing lunula pendants are also depicted in funerary sculpture and paintings from Palmyra.

Funerary monument of Aththaia, Palmyra, 150–200 CE (Museum of Fine Arts Boston)

Lunula amulets also appear in numerous mummy portraits from Roman Egypt. In these evocative paintings, Greco-Roman artistic styles combine with the ancient Egyptian tradition of mummification.

Portrait of a young woman, Egypt, Roman Period, 120–140 CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Mummy portrait of a woman, Hawara, Egypt, 60-80 CE (Ägyptisches Museum)

Mummy portrait, Fayum, Egypt (Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology)

These portraits are notable for their careful and realistic depiction of individual people, and they provide valuable evidence for how jewelry was worn at the time. The frequent appearance of lunula amulets demonstrates not only their popularity but also the importance placed on their protective power—offering comfort and protection to wearers across centuries.

Continuing the Tradition
The lunar crescent has remained a powerful symbol for thousands of years. Several pieces in my collection draw directly on this ancient form.

Lunula Necklace
22k gold crescent pendant based on protective amulets worn in ancient Rome.

Selene Earrings
Crescent earrings in 22k gold reflecting the ancient lunar symbol worn for millennia.