HISTORY OF JEWELRY

Name: The name comes from the verb kosmo which means decorateJewelry is the name given to any ornament for any reason, and it is one of the first areas of folk craftsmanship.

History

From prehistoric times, man was moved by the goods of nature that surrounded him and chose some of them to make them his ornaments. Such ornaments were necklaces and rings made of shells, beautiful sea stones, bones, etc. There was the impression in those early years that ornaments are a means of power, of imposing, of creating, of esteeming others. Men often adorned themselves to attract women.

Mycenaean civilization

All peoples have left behind a multitude of jewels. Like Mycenaean Greece, which handed down many jewels that are distinguished by their their artistic value even though they date back 2500 years. The materials of their construction are gold, silver, lead, enamel, wood covered with gold, all forged and cast with additional decorations: They wore rings in the form of a simple hoop or with ellipsoidal shapes and engraved representations, earrings, bracelets that grow or shrink depending on the diameter of the hand, they preferred beads for necklaces, bracelets and diadems in simple geometric shapes and stylized imitations of various patterns of the animal, plant and marine kingdom. There was also a characteristic variety of gold beads, with a cylindrical surface covered by dense rows of tiny beads.

Classic period

Even the ancient Greeks of the classical era, so austere in their appearance and clothing, so majestic in their simplicity, gave particular importance to some complements that emphasized and revealed situations and their use was purely semiological.] An olive branch was worn by the winner of the Olympic games, an ivy branch by the winner of the Dionysian festivals and theatrical drama competitions, oak leaves were worn in their religious ceremonies, garlands of petroselinum were worn in mourning ceremonies, while men wore wreaths of fresh flowers at banquets.

The upper class (rulers, nobles, religious leaders) did not lack gold bands that held their hair, crowns decorated with precious stones, diadems and gold pins, pins that held their robes, rings and the golden rings. All were made with exquisite craftsmanship, hand-worked from gold, silver and bronze.

Roman times

]For Rome (753 BC – 476 AD), essential accessories were the diadem in the hair, the earrings in the ears, the necklace around the neck, the bracelets on the wrists, the rings on the fingers, the hoops on the arms and ankles.

Rich and abundant jewelry was a necessary complement to the attire of men and women of the Roman Empire. Bracelets one upon the other, rings of gold and silver, all full of precious stones such as pearls, emeralds, rubies, diamonds. They also use rich diadems for their hair and precious stones in their clothes and shoes.

Byzantium

Still famous are the Byzantine jewelry (330-1453 AD) which became sought after throughout Europe and even today are a source of inspiration for jewelry designers.]

The jewelry and crowns of the emperors are handmade, indicating the Greco-Roman influence until the 4th century. Gold rings with relief representations and monograms serve as engagement and wedding rings. Hanging large handmade gold-plated earrings, gold brooches, buckles made of precious stones, bracelets worked with small stones in mosaic. Pearls, emeralds, rubies, diamonds are abundant in the clothing of the emperors. Christian emblems such as the cross, ears of corn, vine branches and leaves, doves, fish, animal shapes, geometric and abstract shapes, flower leaves and fruits shaped the decoration of Byzantine fabrics and jewelry.

Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians (3000–525 BC) were masters of jewelry making and passed on their art to other eastern peoples. They mostly used metal and gems on which they carved various representations.

For Egyptian women, the luxury of fabrics is not enough. They also use bracelets, necklaces, anklets, rings, diadems. The pharaohs wore on their heads the white mitre (crown) with the sacred snake on top, a symbol of the pharaoh dynasty. Men and women wore jewelry in abundance, such as bracelets all the way around the arms and ankles, while their stockings were embroidered or decorated with gold, silver, copper and bronze.^[1] They also wore necklaces with pendants of figures or figures of gods or the symbol of immortality, the sacred kantharos (scarab). The pharaohs wore signet rings with the sacred scarab carved in relief to close the parchments. They also preferred large earrings with various symbolic representations. All were made of noble metals - gold, silver or copper, faience and decorated with beads of emeralds, agate, amethyst, onyx, jasper, crystal stones, turquoise, pearls, amber, coral, semi-precious stones that give the form special weight.
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