For the Etruscans, all jewelry was popular. Men and women wore rings on every joint of every finger, all the rings being carved with amazing realism. Head ornaments, diadems and wreaths of flowers elaborately dressed the heads of many women. All of these ornaments were crafted of fine gold, many accompanied by long gold hairpins topped with balls or acorns. Amber was the most favored stone, set in silver, gold or moonlight tinted gold called "electrum". Their granular gold work was as fine as the Phoenicians, but lost its popularity with the influx of Greek filigree.

The universal use of amulets was not ignored by the Etruscans. Their necklaces often held a hollow pendant in which was carried a magic token. These pendants, called bullas, were molded from gold to form tiny vases, heads of gods or small animals.

The most important offspring of Greek and Etruscan design appeared in Roman jewelry. Conquering roman armies brought back artists and craftsmen who continued in the same vein of jewelry developed in their homelands. Gold continued as the metal of ornamentation and wealth. Necklaces were composed of pearls and beads, but there were interspersed with Greek cameos and coins.

It was during the formation of roman ornamental customs that rings took on the onus of being a sign of rank, particularly under Tiberius. The Romans became so frivolous with regard to jewelry that Cato passed laws concerning the amount of ornamentation that could be worn. Men’s rings fell under these regulations adjusting the kind of metal allowable under certain conditions. Gold, silver or iron could be used depending on the owner’s station. For example, the gold rings given to senators could not be worn in private life, but were to be used only when the senator was sent on an embassy as a badge of office. The only type of ring not under the censor’s ban was the iron signet ring.