Aelia Earrings - 925 Sterling Silver

These gorgeous earrings feature as dangle one of the most popular ancient fruits: the pomegranate, symbol of fertility, life, rebirth and power. Here, the solid, ornate dangle hangs beneath a round cabochon stone held in a sleek bezel setting. Our earrings are based on an ancient pair from the first century AD. "Aelia" was the name of plebeian gens active in Rome from the fifth century BC until the third century AD. The emperor Hadrian (r. AD 117 - 138) was among its illustrious members. One famous Aelia was Aelia Paetina, second wife of the emperor Claudius (r. AD 41 - 54). According to the biographer Suetonius (Life of Claudius, 26), Aelia married Claudius in AD 28 according to the wishes of the then-emperor Tiberius, who wanted to merge his own family with the family of his trusted advisor Sejanus (Lucius Aelius Seianus).