Ode to Ceres

Ceres is the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture, the cycle of the seasons, and the bonds of motherhood. Revered as the divine nourisher of mankind and the green earth, she is the counterpart of the Greek goddess Demeter. The most famous myths surrounding Ceres focus on her deep, protective love for her daughter, which is intertwined with her ultimate role as the bringer and protectress of the harvest. After her daughter, Proserpina (the Roman equivalent of Persephone), returned from the underworld, where she had tasted a pomegranate seed, Ceres and Proserpina became forever associated with the pomegranate as a symbol of changing seasons, renewal, and prosperity.

This necklace set features Ceres wreathed in grain, flowers, and leaves on an ancient Roman coin minted in 84 BCE; two seated aediles, caretakers of Ceres' temple, are shown on the reverse side of the coin. The pink sapphire stands in for the pomegranate associated with the myth of Ceres and her daughter.