Poppaea Earrings

These luxurious earrings are gorgeous and sweet, and make a true statement. Opulent in front, they feature the distinctive and characteristic Roman hook at the back. Evidence shows that the type was incredibly popular in the Roman world, as the many examples found attest. This particular pair is modeled after earrings dating to before AD 79, found in the excavations at the Roman town of Herculaneum, in the Bay of Naples area. 

Poppaea Sabina (AD 30 - 65) was a noblewoman from the Bay of Naples. Her aristocratic family was extremely prominent in the area, and likely owned much property, as evidence from Pompeii and the villa at Oplontis suggest. Poppaea would win the heart of the Roman emperor Nero, known for his excesses and extravagance, whom she would marry.

Both Poppaea and her mother were described by the ancient historians as beautiful. "There was at Rome one Poppaea Sabina ... her mother, who surpassed in personal attractions all the ladies of her day, had bequeathed to her alike fame and beauty. Her fortune adequately corresponded to the nobility of her descent. Her conversation was charming and her wit anything but dull...." - Tacitus (first/second century AD), Annals 13.45