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In the first article of this series we have seen how gold
jewelry was developed in the ancient Sumerian civilization as well as in Egypt and Crete.
The technique of making fine gold jewelry spread to Greece,
to Northern Europe and to the Celtic people as
well. Now let’s look at the role that
gold jewelry played in the pre-Roman era and during the Middle Ages and
Renaissance.
In the 7th century BC the Etruscans of central Italy
were also making fine gold jewelry. The Etruscans perfected the difficult
technique of granulation, a technique in which the surface of the metal is
covered with tiny gold grains.
In Greece
during the Hellenistic Age (the period just after the time of Alexander the
Great, 323-30 BC) Greek jewelry was characterized by its great variety of forms
and fine workmanship. Naturalistic
wreaths were made for the head, and a variety of miniatures -- human, animal,
and plant -- were made into necklaces and earrings.
The Heracles-knot, developed in Greece, remained a popular motif
into Roman times.
Colorful jewelry was an important characteristic of the
Migration period (4th to 8th centuries AD) which followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. Mediterranean goldsmiths continued to
produce refined jewelry but the jewelry of the European tribes dominated the period.
They produced abstract styles and worked in enamels and inlaid stones. This is
also the period of the penannular, or nearly circular, brooches of Ireland and Scotland.
From the 9th to the 13th century, the technique of cloisonné
-- enameling on gold—became widespread in Europe and the Near East, with the
best jewelry of this type emanating from Constantinople (present day Istanbul) the capital of the Byzantine
Empire.
Gold Jewelry in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
In the year 962 AD, just after the creation of the Holy
Roman Empire (located in Central Europe) there was a fusion of Mediterranean and European civilizations and this had an
effect on the jewelry as well.
The Emperor and the Church became the patrons of the arts. Jewelers
worked in courts and monasteries. During this era, jewelry design was based on
the setting in gold of precious stones and pearls in colorful patterns.
Precious stones, which were polished but used in natural forms, were credited
with having magic powers. For example, Sapphire, symbolic of chastity and
spiritual peace, was used for papal rings.
Antique cameo gems were prized and when set in early
medieval jewelry and were given a Christian interpretation. Until this era,
European jewelry was produced mainly in imperial and monastic workshops.
However, by the 13th century a system of independent guilds of goldsmiths was
established in European capitals.
Gothic jewelry reflects the chivalrous ethic of the aristocratic
society of this time in its symbolism and frequent use of amatory inscriptions.
Jewelry, which has always had close affinities with modes of dress, frequently
took the form of brooches and other fastenings such as belt clasps.
The ring brooch, the most common form of jewelry in the 13th
century, was probably given as a token of love or betrothal. A pendant would
occasionally be used as a Reliquary. The use of earrings ceased entirely,
because women wore elaborate jeweled headdresses that concealed the ears. About
1300, French jewelers began to use translucent enamels over engraved silver or
gold.
In the next article of this
series we will look at the history of gold jewelry during the past five hundred
years.
Bo Carpenter of Lewis Jewelers is a jewelry expert and
frequently writes about jewelry and related topics. Lewis Jewelers is proud to
carry the full line of Pandora Bracelets, Pandora Beads and other Pandora
Jewelry. For more information, contact Lewis Jewelers at 877-88-LEWIS or visit www.pandorabraceletsusa.com.
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