Karavas Gems Aventurine and Pearl Drop Earrings*The Met Store Best

Unique, art-inspired gifts for her.

These elegant earrings pay tribute to a timeless 6th–7th-century necklace found at Karavas, Cyprus, which once belonged to the Byzantine empire. In 330 CE, Constantine the Great (r. 306–337)—the first Christian ruler of the Roman empire—transferred the imperial capital from Rome to the eastern city of Byzantion, which he renamed Constantinople (“the city of Constantine”) in his own honor. As the inheritors of the Roman empire, the Byzantines carried the torch of tradition and produced a wealth of wearable treasures in precious gold, silver, and gemstones, signaling their unwavering status. The Museum’s adornment, with its colorful green-quartz beads, lustrous pearls, and exquisite opus interrasile craftsmanship—a pierced metalwork…See More