Category Archives: Historical Jewelry

The History Of Brooch

The Brooches

Brooch

A brooch also known in ancient times as a fibula, is perhaps the oldest type of jewelry. When man first took to wearing something more than a loin cloth, there emanated the necessity of holding the cloth together.

Over time, the appearance of brooch evolved and was slowly refined by craftsmen. The next advancement in this accessory, after the thorns, was the safety pin mechanism. There was the ornament which was attached to the cloth by a pin and a spring made everything work smoothly.

The next huge step on design came during the time of the Byzantines. They had a passion for color and this was carried over to their designs. For the first time, brooches came in bright colors with intricate designs. Soon after, it became a hot item during trades and was sought after by many.

Years later, the brooch saw even more improvements as its size grew which meant there was more surface area for designers to work with. Very intricate designs were finally possible and artists and craftsmen used it to the fullest extent. For some people, symbols, family crests and other meaningful patterns were made into brooches which also boosted its reputation amongst the people and most especially the elite.

It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with gemstones and may be solely for ornament (as in the stomacher) or sometimes serve a practical function as a fastening, perhaps for a cloak.

The earliest known brooches are from the Bronze Age. As fashions in brooches changed rather fast, they are important chronological indicators.

There are several distinct types of brooches, not only in design, but in the fastening mechanism. The earliest known of these was the “safety-pin” form. This brooch had a pin, hinge, spring and bow all in one place. If a brooch is not a bow shaped, but round it is called “annular”. A “discoidal” brooch has a solid plaque or ornamental face with a simple pin and hook in the back. The “pen annular” pin was developed by the Celts and had a gap in the ring.

The early Christian period made a great advance in its effect on brooches throughout the fifth and sixth centuries. Its influence brought the addition of symbols and inscriptions to the necessary brooch, helping along with the Byzantines, to push the brooch towards its ornamental character.

In Ireland from the ninth to the thirteenth century, the pen annular reached its point of perfection. This is evidenced in the Tara brooch, beautifully decorated gold with enamels and cabochon stones. The pin of the pen annular always pointed upwards when worn. Then the ring was twisted to hold the pin in place with the pressure of the material.

The nineteenth century brooch took on many looks, as did the rest of the jewelry created. Early in the century, brooches began to look like the lace that many of them held, with mixed wire-work and fancy stones. Later, the vogue was a brooch made with pavé turquoise and tiny seed pearls threaded on horsehair. Throughout the next century, brooches, as with all jewels, closely followed the latest fashion.

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The History Of Necklace

Ancient Nacklace

Necklace

The necklace is a piece of jewelry that can be traced back throughout history as being worn by both men and women. They were often used as ways to make a distinction among many cultures.

Historians and archeologists have discovered that the necklace originated maybe forty thousand years before originally believed. In South Africa they have excavated a cave that had over 41 mollusks that were strung as possible neck jewelry nearly 75,000 years ago. At that time, people were decorating themselves with mollusk necklaces. Later, necklaces made of stones, bones, shells and animal teeth became popular. After the discovery of metals, gold, silver and a variety of other metals were used to make eye-catching necklaces for both men and women

Later, in 2500 B.C., necklaces were being made from gold. These gold choker and adornments were discovered in Ur. Later Sumerian’s began using beaded neck jewelry using examples of colored stones, copper and other metals.

The ancient Egyptians were more evolved. They grew from simple stringed bead necklaces to the more complicated patterns. They also had the broad collar and pectoral type necklaces that both men and women wore, especially the wealthy and royalty. Many of these necklaces were buried with them. These necklaces were often richly ornamented and were a big part of the dress attire.

There are numbers of necklace types that we can recognize:

Bib necklace; A bib necklace is made multiple strands of stepped pearls.
Choker; 35 centimetres (14 in) to 43 centimetres (17 in) long and sits high on the neck.
Princess necklace; A princess necklace is 45 centimetres (18 in) to 50 centimetres (20 in) long. It is between choker and matinee length.
Sharktooth; sharktooth necklace is a necklace with a shark tooth attached.
Sautoir or rope necklace; A sautoir or rope necklace is any necklace longer than opera length.
Uniform necklace; A uniform necklace consists of pearls that appear to be all the same size, although normally there is a slight difference towards the ends so they appear to be in proportion.

Gold was abundant during Alexander the Great period of ruling the Greek Empire. They used gold to make necklaces and many other types of jewelry for many centuries.

Now the Ancient Romans frowned on wearing jewelry. There were laws that dictated how much gold a woman could wear or be buried with. During the first century, the Roman style of jewelry started using gemstones cut in circular or rectangular shapes.

Later on, it became popular for women to wear many necklaces at once. This would indicate her level of wealth or her class. For a few years, the popularity of necklaces waned until the late 14th century when they regained popularity. Now necklaces are popular among all classes of people.

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The History Of Ring

Couple Ring

Ring

Ring, or sometimes being known as finger ring, is a circular band which is wore as a typical ornamental jewelry which is usually wore in our finger. The same circular bands that also worn as an ornamental we know, like arm ring and neck ring.

Rings are worn by both men and women and can be of any quality. Rings can be made of metal, plastic, wood, bone, glass, gemstone, iron, chopper, silver, gold and other materials. They may be set with a “stone” of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone such as ruby, sapphire or emerald, but can also be of almost any material.

Dated back to the early begin of the history or ring, the custom of giving and receiving rings was begin over 4,800 years. The fourth digit or ring finger of the hand has become the customary place to wear a wedding ring in much of the world. It stems from a 16th-century in Tudor belief that the left-handed ring finger was connected by a vein directly to the heart; thus, wearing a ring on the third finger demonstrated that the wearer was in a relationship.

Some cultures have rings typically associated with them. Cultures such as Native Americans use silver and turquoise in their jewelry. Early Christians used the Greek symbol, the Icthus, which resembles a fish. One of the best known is the Irish Claddagh that also has an intriguing story attached to it. Richard Joyce was among the crew of a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh, Ireland that was captured, he was to have been married that very same week. During slavery, Richard Joyce was put to the trade of Goldsmith-ing. Through the years of capture neither married. Richard Joyce created a ring for his love with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty, and two hands.
After Joyce escaped capture, he returned to the village of Claddagh and was overjoyed to see his love again and to know she had never married. She always knew he would return to her. He gave her the ring that has become known as the Claddagh ring. If the Claddagh is worn on the right hand with the crown inward (toward the wrist) the heart is not yet committed. If it is worn on the right hand with the crown turned outward the wearer is committed to someone. Finally if it is worn on the left hand with the crown outward it means “Let our love and friendship reign forever, never to be separated.”

Rings are worn for a variety of reasons including adornment. There are rings given as a reward for a job well done such as the Super Bowl victory.
They are given to represent commitment as in engagements and marriages. Women religious to signify their commitment to God also wear rings.

Rings have some typical shapes and styles, and some of each are have different meaning. For instance, Flat wedding bands are the simplest form of ring that can be made. A flat wedding band basically consists of a strip of metal that is bent around into a loop and joined where the ends meet. Half-round rings, also called D-shape rings, are flat wedding bands that are filed half-round on the outside. Eternity rings are rings with stones, usually diamonds, of the same cut and size, set in one row all around the ring. The stones are usually round or square, and the setting is usually either claws or a channel setting. When the stones do not continue around the entire ring, but stop halfway around the finger, it is called a half-eternity ring.

Some rings also have usage meaning for the wearer, like, Aqiq ring; A carnelian or Agate ring worn by some Muslims, especially Shi’ah, in imitation of Muhammad and the twelve Imams. Engagement ring; A traditional ring worn by a woman to indicate her engagement to be married. Friendship ring; Friendship rings are used to symbolize a close relationship that has no romantic undertone. Thumb ring; This largest of finger rings is worn on the thumb primarily for fashion, but is also worn as a symbol of will power or internal energy, sexuality, and other beliefs or attitudes.

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The Precious Ivory

Elk Ivory

Ivory

Ivory is one of the most well known materials that are used in high quality precious jewelry. It should be noted that Ivory is not a gemstone or a mineral from rock, it is an organic mineral created by certain mammals with specific types of characteristics.

Basically, Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing.

Elephant ivory has been the most important source, but ivory from many species including the hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal has been used.

Ivory usually comes in two colors, white and whitish yellow, many people usually call it off white. The whiter the Ivory, usually the higher the price, usually Ivory can turn a tinge of yellow if it is an older piece, but for the most part, it is extremely exquisite and beautiful.

Humans have carved ornamental ivory since prehistoric times. An Ivory figurine of the Pharaoh Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza, is a notable masterpiece in the art of ivory carving.

The quality of Ivory is very malleable in contrast to gemstones that are usually rigid surfaced. The size of Ivory depends upon the size of the animal.

Ivory has been banned since 1989 to save the mammals that were literally killed to obtain their beautiful tusks. Factual information is there that in 40 years, 97% of the 300,000 elephants found in certain African countries were butchered to obtain the Ivory, and this practice would make the species extinct. After the ban, Ivory has become rare as now only after the natural death of the animal, ivory can be obtained, so today there are plastic substitutes of Ivory available in the market that look equally exquisite and beautiful like the original material.

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Indonesia Pre-Historic Jewelries

Pre-Historic Jewelries


Pre-Historic Jewelry

Jewelries and human is connected. Following the modernization, human in past periodic time was already had jewelries within their historical track. Jewelry is one of the things that used to beautify the human body. During the cultivation, human was already familiar with jewelry such as bracelets of stones and shells. In Indonesia, jewelry like this was firstly found in West Java and Java.

Other founding about pre-historic jewelries are mentioned that there are some bracelets. Information obtained in various sizes between 24-54 mm in diameter with a thickness of 6-17 mm. Looking from the size, it can be there is a possibility of a smaller size, which is used as an object containing zimat or being used for magical power or can be used as an earring. Other area in West Java that was found other pre-historic jewelries are East Cirebon and western Bandung. Findings from these places only in the form of bracelets that have been finished. some findings from these places only in the form of bracelets that have been finished.

There was also founding in Surakarta that mentioned about bangles shell, together with a number of other findings such as beads of shell and shaft-square shaft. To find out how they are made, we can compare it with today’s traditional crafts . This comparative study will produce a picture of life in the past, although it was not a representation of the truth. For example, the manufacture of shell bracelets were found in Surakarta was estimated by filing as it is known in Northern Luzon now.

The shell material that being used was not all shells type. Types of shells which are widely used is the type of Tridacna, it was drilled from both surfaces of bamboo. The drill was rotated with the help of a piece of string in the first part were given water and sand. The way how to drill is also used to work on the rings of stone that found in Malaysia and Thailand.

The places from these pre-historic jewelries are in Limbasari, Purbalingga. Besides in Indonesia, the rings were also found in Szechwan, Fongtien, Siberian, Japanese, Korean, Jehor, Chahor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Honan, Lamma Island, and Taiwan.

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