jenkahnjewelry
Ancient Athena's Owl Coin Earrings with Peruvian Opal Beads
Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, wisdom, courage, justice, strength, strategy, and the arts. She is often symbolized by the owl. While one side of these ancient coins showed Athena, I wanted to replicate the Owl side.
The reverse of the coins depict the owl of Athena with the inscription AΘE, an abbreviation of AΘΗNAΙΩΝ (the Athenians). In daily use Athenian drachmas were called glaukes (owls). The owl has traditionally been associated with wisdom because of its ability to see in the dark, where others may not be able to see.
The quantity of silver controlled by the Athenians allowed them to mint the authoritative coinage of ancient Greece, the thick and heavy Athenian owl tetradrachm, which remains the most recognizable ancient coin today. This coin was the largest silver coin of its time, and it popularized the use of a coin’s obverse as the “head” and the reverse as the animal’s “tail”.
Peruvian Opal is said to improve one’s self-esteem and confidence, creativity and communication in the ability of the wearer. It’s associated with soft and relaxing energy.
Oxidized Sterling Silver medallions are 7/8" wide x 3/4" tall and are suspended from Sterling Silver earwires.