Medieval Jewelry
Many significant events during the medieval or middle ages have a great influence in today’s modern development. Even some of the today’s magnificent jewelries have come from the middle ages. That probably explains why many are obsessed in collecting medieval works of art like medieval jewelry, paintings and more.
Jewelry From the Middle Ages to the 1800’s
In previous articles we have discuss the origins of jewelry. Let’s now take a look at jewelry and Jewelry Making during the time of the Middle Ages.
Even though the Ancient Roman Empire was decaying, many areas of their empire continued on with the refinement of their Jewelry Making skills and designs. In particular the cultures of the Merovingian (encompassing the areas around Ancient Gaul in France) and the Celts were known for their fine jewelry. The Celts often used continuous designs and patterns, while Merovingian jewelry often took the form of stylized animal figures. Some of the more common jewelry pieces were amulets, signet rings, and various fasteners of clothing. By the time the 8th century rolled around, men were utilizing jewels in their weapons.
The eastern parts of the collapsing Ancient Roman Empire continued with the Jewelry Making techniques and traditions of the Romans. Religious ideals and items predominated. Differing from the Romans, Franks and Celts (who used solid gold in their jewelry), the Byzantium used light-weight gold leaf…with emphasis being placed on the actual stones and gems themselves. Not for the normal "lay person", Byzantine jewelry was worn by females with money, while signet rings were the main form of jewelry for men. As was common with cultures of the time, people were buried with the jewelry they owned.
The Renaissance was a period of explosive knowledge in the arts and sciences, and the refinement of Jewelry Making during this time period was to be no exception. During the Renaissance the Europeans explored the far reaches of the world, and they uncovered a number of gemstones that make their way into their jewelry designs.
When Napoleon Bonaparte came to power in France, he restored the grandeur and style in the areas of fashion and jewelry. Take the cameo for example. Napoleon had one of these decorating his crown. Once this fashion trend was shown to the public, the demand for cameos rose. Costume jewelry was also starting to develop around this time. Depending on the materials the jewelers worked with, they were given specific names.
About the time of the late 18th century romanticism started to work it’s way into jewelry development of the area. The industrial processes of the time meant that cheaper alloys and stone substitutes were now available, and this resulted in more paste and costume jewelry.The start of the Industrial Revolution, and the subsequent social conditions that the people were being subjected to, resulted in the rise of a growing middle-class. This class of people wanted, and could now afford, jewelry.
In 1837 a man named Charles Lewis Tiffany started his jewelry company in the United States. It was to go on to develop some stunning jewelry, such as those created for the wife of President Abraham Lincoln. This company really put the United States on the map in the area of jewelry design and Craftsmanship. It is this exact same company that was to become the setting of the Hollywood movie "Breakfast at Tiffany’s". On the other side "of the pond" as they say, in France in particular, Pierre Cartier founded his company, Cartier SA, in 1847. A few years later, in 1884, the Italian jewelry company of Bulgari was founded.
Read more from Bobby A. Spider at the blog: http://www.beautifulheartjewelry.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_A._Spider
Why not try out wearing 16g body jewelries..? You’ll probably be amazed at how fashionable it looks. Don’t forget to get also wholesale boxes for jewelry, they prove to be much cheaper when bought through wholesale.
A Country Home Christmas – TIA
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