Common Era Expands Difficult Women Collection With 12 Historical Figures

The roster runs from Anne Boleyn to Olga of Kyiv, from Sappho to Clytemnestra, and Common Era's Difficult Women collection has now grown to honor all twelve of them. The woman-owned jewelry brand expanded the collection with the addition of Olga of Kyiv, bringing the full complement of cameo-style pendants and solid gold signet rings to a dozen historical figures timed, at least in part, to Women's History Month.

The collection's thesis is unambiguous. "The Difficult Women collection is an ode to women who scandalized the world and defied the patriarchy," reads Common Era's site copy. "Some are cast as epic villains of history, some simply dared to dream or think in a world dominated by men. All of them deserve to be honored and celebrated by those who came after. Because being 'difficult' is often just another word for being fiercely and unapologetically yourself."

The twelve figures represented span millennia and mythology: Agrippina Minor, Anne Boleyn, Boudica, Cassandra of Troy, Cleopatra, Clytemnestra, Hatshepsut, Hypatia of Alexandria, Livia Drusilla, Pandora, Sappho, and Olga of Kyiv. Most are available as cameo-style pendants; Anne Boleyn, Boudica, Hypatia of Alexandria, and Sappho each have a corresponding solid gold signet ring. Olga's pendant carries the specific designation "Molten Gold Pendant" on the brand's product pages, distinguishing it from the standard pendant format offered for other figures in the collection.

Metal options and price points vary considerably. The collection spans plated vermeil at the entry level up through 14-karat and 18-karat gold. The Cleopatra "The Queen" pendant, offered in 14-karat rose gold, is priced at $1,500. The Pandora "The Blamed" pendant is available in 14-karat white gold, and the two pieces have been photographed together alongside the Cleopatra pendant and an Anne Boleyn signet ring, giving a clear sense of how the collection's tonal range plays across the lineup.

Common Era backs its materials claims with specificity. "We use only 100% recycled gold and silver," the brand states, adding pointedly, "none of that tricky language like 'we aim to use recycled where we can.'" Production takes place in an RJC-certified studio, which the brand describes as "the highest level of ethical and sustainability certification attainable." The brand also donates 3% of all profits to the Animal Welfare Institute, which holds an A+ rating from CharityWatch.

At least one piece in the broader Common Era catalog, the Clio Muse of History Necklace, was showing as out of stock at the time of this writing, a signal that demand for the brand's mythology-and-history-driven aesthetic has been outpacing supply on certain styles. The Difficult Women collection itself, however, continues to grow, and with twelve figures now represented across two formats and multiple metal weights, it has become one of the more coherent arguments in fine jewelry for what everyday jewelry can actually say.