Junyi Wu, College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2026

Composed of precious sapphires, amethysts, emeralds, and pearls, this necklace is truly a “luxury art,” created by the hands of master artisans. It is no wonder that the Emperor Justinian I wished to have such gem-studded jewelry reserved for imperial use.  Precious gems symbolized the identities of the elite and could serve as fine imperial presents. 
Though the old Republic of Rome might have condemned luxury art, with the fall of the western Roman Empire in 476 CE and the continuance of the eastern Roman Empire (which we know as the Byzantine Empire), official opinions about luxury art changed.  Under the Byzantines, luxury art was regarded as a gift and sign from the divine Christian God of the elite nature of rulers. What's more, because gems and other luxuries visually signposted who was elite, the import and export of luxury and precious materials also became strictly regulated by the officials.

A necklace like this was beyond the world of the ordinary citizen. Yet it is worthwhile to pause before imagining it as just an object sitting idle and aloof in a Byzantine palace. It might have been treasured by someone of royal or elite origin for its striking and beautiful appearance, but the creation of such a necklace might well be driven by a desire for display and a more ambitious goal of expressing the superiority of the prosperous Byzantine ruling class to their lower classes and to their neighbors.