Ancient Greek 2nd Century Owl Athena Coin Pendant

Using ancient coins and traditional Balinese gem setting techniques, Steven Battelle’s jewelry offers history in the palm of your hand. The American jewelry designer and his team create pieces inspired by and incorporating historic coinage and materials used in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Asia.

Battelle first encountered cabochon stones, which are gemstones polished and shaped rather than faceted, on a trip to Southeast Asia in 1987. A predecessor of modern jewelry, cabochons inspired Battelle to pursue a jewelry hobby while continuing to work as a veterinarian for exotic animals. 

He became fascinated with the ornamentation styles used by ancient Majapahit Java and Siam cultures, eventually transitioning from veterinarian work to designing jewelry full-time. He developed a partnership with Balinese jewelry makers, a collaboration which became a key component in realizing his designs. 

The Balinese partners hand-make each piece using traditional methods that have been passed down for generations. While conventional blow torches and modern tools are used in much of the work, the heart of the jewelry’s creation is grounded in an artisanal approach. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Steven Battelle rings, earrings, necklaces and more.

Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.

The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.

Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.

Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.

On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.