Ancient Romans and Chinese wore sunglasses according to historical reference – apparently the Roman Emperor Nero enjoyed gladiator fights whilst sporting a pair of specs made of polished gem stones.
In China during the 12th century lenses were made from flat panes of smoky quartz, although they did not provide safety from UV glare as today – they did help shield eyes from the bright glare of the sunshine – a problem we are not quite suffering from here in 21st century England.
However, presumably the sunshine will return at some point in the near future and if it does – let us help you chose the most stylish of modern shades available today – no not gem stones or quartz – but designer specs!