When Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey premieres in 2026, audiences will see Homer’s ancient epic reborn on the IMAX screen; a tale of storms, sorcery, gods, and the long road home. For me, The Odyssey has never been just a story—it’s been a source of design inspiration since I founded Common Era Jewelry. When I came up with the idea for my business, I was in London reading Circe and listening to the audiobook of Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation as I traipsed around museums and parks. Many of my pieces are drawn directly from its heroines and goddesses, shaped by the same histories and myths that inspired Homer.
Penelope: The Enduring Muse
In Homer’s poem, Penelope waits twenty years for Odysseus, weaving by day and unraveling by night to keep her suitors at bay. In my Ceremonia collection, the Penelope ring carries a rope motif, a nod to her endless weaving; a symbol of patience, resilience, and quiet strength.
Circe: The Enchantress of Aeaea
Circe is as feared as she is desired—a sorceress who turns men into beasts, yet offers Odysseus shelter and guidance. She was the first piece I designed back in 2019, and I've since expanded to a smaller mini medallion and ring, which capture her as she appears in ancient art: poised, self-assured, a woman who commands her own power.
Athena: The Guardian Goddess
Athena guides Odysseus home, embodying wisdom, strategy, and protection. In my designs, Athena appears in a portrait medallion based on ancient Greek coinage, wearing her crested helmet; a talisman for courage and clarity in any journey.
Artemis: The Huntress
Though she doesn’t appear directly in The Odyssey, Artemis shares the same mythic cosmos; the goddess of the hunt and protector of women. My Artemis pendant draws on her classical depictions—a bow in hand, the moon as her crown.
Clytemnestra: The Avenging Queen
Clytemnestra’s story shadows The Odyssey, for her betrayal of Agamemnon is the cautionary tale that haunts Penelope’s suitors. My Clytemnestra medallion captures her duality: queen and avenger, framed in gold like an ancient coin.
Why Wear the Odyssey?
Stories survive because we carry them forward. Jewelry can do the same—turning myth into something tangible, personal, and enduring. When you wear a piece inspired by The Odyssey, you are wearing not just gold and gemstone, but a fragment of the epic itself; a link in the chain of its telling that now stretches into our own time.
As Nolan’s The Odyssey draws the world’s eyes back to Homer’s timeless tale, I invite you to explore the jewelry inspired by its heroines. Each design is rooted in history, crafted in recycled gold, and meant to be worn for decades—long after the final credits fade.
