Octavia Earrings 22K

These darling 22 Karat gold earrings are delicate and sweet, and have a design that is so current! In fact, the pair is modeled after an ancient Roman example, and feature the distinctive and characteristic Roman hook at the back. The design on the front was a very popular motif in Roman art, and while it appears to depict a heart, it was, in fact, a full and beautiful ivy leaf. As one of the attributes of the god Dionysus, ivy was a powerful symbol associated with eternal happiness.

One prominent Octavia in Roman times was Octavia the Younger (69 - 11 BC), the younger sister of the leader under whom Rome would become an empire, Octavian/Augustus. This Octavia was also the fourth wife of Mark Antony, with whom she had two daughters before he divorced her to live with Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt. As a powerful member of the imperial family, Octavia was admired for her strength, loyalty, humanity, and the fact that she was, by all accounts, the perfect Roman matron.

"[Augustus] was exceedingly fond of his sister, who was, as the saying is, a wonder of a woman...[possessing] great beauty, intelligence and dignity." - Plutarch (first/second century AD), Antony, 31.1-2