Our Jewelry and Materials

Ancient jewelry is spectacular, and it has so many admirers. We hope you will love our collection! We would like our jewelry to be accessible to everyone, so each piece is available in the following precious metal choices: 925 Sterling Silver, 18 Karat Gold Over Sterling Silver, 14 Karat Solid Gold, and 18 Karat Solid Gold. Our Ancient Graffiti Pendants are also available in Yellow Silver. There are many price points.

We also offer 22 Karat Solid Gold or 24 Karat Solid Gold for each piece, as well as precious stone substitutions, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires. If you would like your jewelry specially made in these ways, please contact us for  information.

Sterling Silver, Yellow Silver, and Gold Vermeil: Care Instructions and Our Free Replating Service

925 Sterling Silver is a high quality metal that is 92.5% silver. It has a brilliant shine, it is lightweight, and it is durable, making it a very wearable and popular metal choice.

Yellow Silver is another precious metal that we offer exclusively for our Ancient Graffiti Pendant collection. Yellow silver has a warm yellow color that approaches gold. It is made with a copper alloy that is added to sterling silver.

Our 18 karat gold-plated pieces are made with the gold micron plating process known as vermeil. This technique, also called heavy gold plating, is of the highest quality, and there are regulations that must be met in order for the plating process to qualify as micron plating. These are that the underlying metal must be sterling silver, the gold must be at least 10K (ours is 18K), and finally, the gold plating must be of a certain thickness - usually over 2.5 microns (we use 3). These requirements guarantee that your piece is made of the best materials, and that the gold finish will last for many years.

All of these metal types, the 925 sterling silver, yellow silver, and gold vermeil (because of its silver core) may tarnish over time. That is why we include an anti-tarnish strip with every purchase. These little squares of fabric are quite wonderful, and they are safe for gold and other metals, too. Simply store the strip in the same container as your jewelry, and it will protect all of your gold, silver and other metals from harmful elements that can cause the tarnishing and discoloration. Each strip protects jewelry closed in a dry space up to 30 cubic inches, for a period of 12 months. Silver or vermeil jewelry may also be cleaned (and tarnish removed) by wiping gently with a silver polishing cloth, which we also provide with every silver jewelry purchase.

Furthermore, in order to preserve the vermeil and ensure a longer life for your jewelry, we suggest keeping the jewelry away from chemicals such as perfumes, hairsprays, soaps and creams, and that it is removed before swimming in a pool or in the sea. When not worn, all jewelry should be stored in a dry and well-sealed location.

If you find that your piece of ROMAE jewelry is in need, we offer a free replating service for our vermeil pieces! Simply contact us and we will make arrangements to have your piece of ROMAE jewelry freshly replated with a new gold coating, to make it look brand new and add years of wear to its life.

Jewelry Fabrication Centers

ROMAE  Jewelry has two design and production centers, Rome and New York City, while some of our pieces are finely crafted too in Turkey and in Thailand. Every piece of jewelry we make receives specialized attention, as it is individually cast and hand finished, and stamped with the ROMAE  Jewelry logo on the interior. Your jewelry will also arrive with a card providing details about the original piece of ancient jewelry that inspired our creation, so that you may know its long history.

If you would like to request that your piece is created in Rome, please specify in the Special Instructions area of the product page. We are happy to special deliver your piece from the heart of Rome. Enjoy!

Sizing

Bracelets

Our bangle bracelets are measured in terms of their circumference, or length around the bracelet. Each size is given in both inches and centimeters. To find the proper size bangle for you, you may use an online measuring chart, or you may measure your hand! First, hold your hand in front of you as if you were putting on a bangle, with your thumb and little finger touching. Second, with a tape measure or strip of paper, measure around your hand at its widest point, snugly. This is the measurement of the circumference of your hand, and is the minimum size of the bracelet that you should order. Keep in mind that you may want to add 1/4" to your hand measurement, when choosing your bangle size, to ensure ease of putting on the bangle, though you should not choose a bracelet size that is too large, because the bracelet may then easily fall off, while being worn. A good idea may be to measure the circumference of a favorite bangle that you already have, and order that size!

Rings

Our rings follow the American measuring system, with sizes 4 - 14. To determine your ring size, it may be a good idea to measure a favorite ring that you already wear. Or, you may measure the ring size of the finger where you intend to wear the ring. For this, it may be easiest to use one of the online measuring tools, following the directions carefully. After we create your ring, we will double check its size before shipping it to you, to make sure that your ring is perfect, and the size that you ordered. Please note that we are very happy to make special order ring sizes! Please contact us for more information.

Earrings

Roman earrings often had a very curved hook at the back. We are happy to revive this tradition and earring form, as these hooks also make the earrings more secure. The best and easiest way to insert these earrings is by starting with them turned upside down, and then once through the ear, rotating them upright.

Ankle Bracelets

Our ankle bracelets are bangles, and are available in 1 centimeter size increments, from 25 to 40 centimeters, in circumference. To find your correct measurement, point your toes, and then measure the distance around your foot at the largest part - from the heel to the bend at the top of your foot where it joins your leg.

Policy on Selling to Current Students

We warmly invite Cris' students and their families to contact us at any time (we love hearing from you!), and to order our jewelry at any time after the student has completed the course or program with her and grades have been submitted. We appreciate you - thank you so much for help keeping antiquity alive!