These majestic earrings are an adaptation of one of the most common Roman earring types, adding a subtle ribbed texture to the exterior surface of these rounded favorites. They are based on a gorgeous ancient pair found at the Roman town of Herculaneum, dating to before AD 79. 

"Paula" is the female patronymic form of the male name "Paulus." One ancient Roman Paula was Julia Cornelia Paula, who lived in the third century AD. She was a member of the gens Cornelia through her maternal line, and her father, Julius Paulus, was a praetorian prefect and an important jurist in the time of the Severan dynasty. In the year AD 219, she was married to the Roman emperor Elagabalus in a lavish ceremony with much celebration. The Greek historian Herodian (c. AD 170 - 240) recounts, "[Elagabalus] married one of the noblest of the Roman ladies, and proclaimed her Augusta." - Hist. 5.6.1