Domitia Earrings 22K

This ancient "bling" is truly a showstopper, with a beautifully framed cabochon gemstone crowning a gorgeous cluster of grapes, beneath. These 22 Karat gold earrings are based on a Roman example dating to the first century AD, and feature the characteristic Roman hook at the back.

"Domitia" is the female patronymic of the name Domitianus. One famous Domitia was the wife of the emperor Domitian (r. AD 81 - 96), Domitia Longina. This Domitia was not only the Augusta, or empress of Rome, from whom the emperor "could not bear to be separated (Suetonius, Life of Domitian 3.1), but she was, too, a strong and independent woman: Domitia Longina was the owner of the beautiful Horti Domitiae, a large luxury garden estate in the north of the city, which was located immediately across the river from the historical city center. This imperial estate would soon become the location for the mausoleum of the emperor Hadrian (r. AD 117 - 138), which is known today as the Castel Sant' Angelo.