Late Bronze and Early Iron Age

Small clay idols depicting female figures teach us about women's clothing during the Late Bronze Age (1600–1100 BC). These costumes were likely complemented with much jewelry. Some figurines show hats and hair diadems, while their garments display numerous decorative elements—some probably representing the jewelry they wore. Few actual ornaments from this period have survived. One rare exception is the treasure from Barzitsa, which includes a pair of earrings, one gold and four silver hoops (possibly belts?).

During the Early Iron Age (the first half of the 1st millennium BC), women adorned their garments with fibulae (ancient safety pins) and wore numerous head and body ornaments. They braided their hair into small plaits decorated with bronze spirals. Around their necks, they wore necklaces made of bronze spirals or tubes, clay, or stone. The most prized were necklaces of amber beads—fossilized resin from coniferous trees—as amber was considered healing and a symbol of the sun. On their arms, they wore large bracelets made of spirally wound metal strips or wire, also crafted from bronze. Spirals also decorated their bronze rings.

Late Iron Age

In the following centuries—the Late Iron Age (second half of the 1st millennium BC)—the newly created Odrysian Kingdom in Thrace reached its greatest political and military power. The wealth and confidence of the aristocracy were expressed in precious objects of unprecedented elegance and magnificence. Wealthy Thracian women began adorning themselves with gold and silver jewelry, even adapting ornaments favored by the Greeks to their own tastes. For example, hoop earrings worn in Greece as a pair became elaborate head ornaments here, descending from the forehead to the temples. They were comprised of hoops sewn onto a ribbon with two gold pendants shaped like the Greek letter omega attached at the ends. Such an original head ornament was discovered in the rich burial at Kukova Mogila near the village of Duvanli, Plovdiv region. Women combined head ornaments with necklaces of beads, torques (neck rings), massive gold bracelets, and rings. In some graves, archaeologists have also discovered gold pectorals sewn or fastened with fibulae to the garment at the chest.

Various depictions on famous Thracian artifacts (vessels made of precious metals, appliqués for horse harnesses, etc.) show that jewelry remained an essential part of women's lives during the 4th–3rd centuries BC. Ornaments were increasingly crafted from silver or bronze, while garments were decorated with buttons or decorative plates rather than fibulae. The noblest ladies adorned their heads with golden wreaths, such as the one worn by the ruler's wife in the murals of the Kazanlak Tomb. Jewelry from the Hellenic (Greek) world became increasingly fashionable—a popular set among both Thracian and Greek women included a pair of earrings with lion heads and a necklace of beads. Other fashionable accessories included boat-shaped earrings with pendants, snake-shaped rings, and bracelets with serpent heads. During this period, craftsmen began decorating gold jewelry with enamel, colored stones, and glass. An interesting shift occurred in Thrace between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. Fashion gradually changed as Celtic motifs from central and western Europe became popular. The most favored jewelry pieces were torques, bracelets (open, closed, or spiral-shaped), chains, and rings.

The Roman Period

During the Roman period (1st–3rd centuries AD), women adorned themselves with beautiful jewelry—lavish diadems, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Bracelets were worn on both the arms and ankles, though respectable married women (matrons) avoided ankle bracelets. Wealthy families owned collections featuring precious and semi-precious stones, such as diamonds, emeralds, opals, topazes, and pearls. Wealthy fathers purchased expensive jewelry as wedding gifts for their daughters, while husbands gave wives precious ornaments to display their household's wealth. Many men complained about their wives' desire for jewelry, since the most beautiful pieces came from the eastern lands of the Roman Empire at exceptionally high prices. The Roman poet Juvenal remarked that "nothing shameful can stop a woman from placing green emeralds around her neck and adorning her ears with large pearls." Romans particularly loved pearls, especially those that were pale white or transparent and teardrop-shaped. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder recounts that some women wore small pouches of pearls suspended on gold chains around their necks, refusing to remove them even while sleeping. Wealthy Romans sewed pearls into their clothing or onto their sandal straps. Emperor Nero wore sandals fastened with pearls, and his scepter and litter were entirely decorated with precious stones.

Earrings were likely the most popular type of jewelry. Women loved them so much that some Roman historians claimed their ears would sag from wearing them, while others noted they spent more on their ears than any other body part. Bracelets were another favorite, crafted from gold, silver, bronze, bone, and jet (a black stone). Even children and babies wore them. Rings were beloved by men, women, and children alike, made from gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Some featured precious stones engraved with images (gems). Women adorned their necks with beautiful chains and bead necklaces made from glass, coral, shell, jet, ivory, or amber in various shapes and sizes. A small amulet was sometimes threaded between the beads for protection against evil forces.