The breathtaking shards of glass Angie Olami uses in her jewelry date from 100 BCE to 300 CE. They were unearthed in Israel by archaeologists sifting through the fallen pillars and once magnificent cities of the Roman Empire.
And how do the colors form? The layers of iridescent colors have evolved gradually over the centuries as part of the glass’s chemical reaction to the sun, the water and the mineral rich earth in which it was buried. There has been glass found in England and Northern Europe dating back at least 1700 yrs, but it lacks the opalescence associated with Roman Glass because the natural phenomenon could not occur in their cold, damp climates. Angie Olami’s suppliers of Roman Glass are all licensed by the Israeli Government Antiquities Authority. Whole vessels are carted off to the museums and archaeologists keep whatever they need for research, the fragments are used in the jewelry design – useless rubble to some but magnificent gems to us!
Angie Olami jewelry is made from the hand blown fragments of ancient perfume pots, juglets, lamps, flasks, vases, cups and bowls. Each fragment varies in thickness, age and composition. Each piece underwent its own unique transformation as it became weathered with layers of patina. If a shard doesn’t sit exactly straight in its bezel, remember it is someone’s ancient wineglass you are wanting to wear as a pendant or as earrings.