What are empire earrings?
By Jared James · Last updated 21 May 2026
Definition
Empire earrings are a jewellery style inspired by the earrings worn in ancient Rome around the 1st century BC, characterised by a hoop or loop form often set with pearls, amethysts or garnets in gold or silver. The Roman Empire style favoured dangles and hoops that moved and caught the light, and contemporary interpretations of empire earrings echo that simple, graceful silhouette. The term is also used more broadly for earrings styled in the neo-classical tradition that was fashionable during the Napoleonic Empire period in early 19th-century Europe.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do empire earrings come from?
- The style draws on ancient Roman jewellery from roughly the 1st century BC, when hoops set with pearls and semi-precious stones were fashionable across the Roman world. The term is also used for earrings in the neo-classical style that revived Roman forms during the Napoleonic era.
- What stones are used in empire earrings?
- Historically, pearls, amethysts and garnets were typical for Roman-style pieces. Contemporary empire earrings follow the same palette and often use freshwater pearls set in gold or sterling silver.
- Are empire earrings the same as ancient Roman earrings?
- They are inspired by them. The term empire earrings describes modern or reproduction pieces that reference the hoop and drop forms of Roman jewellery, rather than originals, which now live in museum collections.
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