Showing posts with label Ancient Greek Jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancient Greek Jewelry. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2009

Historical Periods Of Ancient Greek Jewellery

The period from 2500 BC to 500 BC was the period of Minoan jewellery. Minoan craftsmen, who were working in troy and Crete near eastern Mediterranean Sea, produced standard types of fashion necklaces, earrings and bracelets. It was the establishment of classical Greek art. Items made in this period were consisted of chains and coils that were linked with gold plated wires or slim gold foils that were shaped into petals and rossets. The most common techniques were enameling and stamping for making Minoan jewellery which included inlaid stones, filigree and gold granulation. Main styles of Minoan jewellery were naturalistic patterns or spirals that were based upon cuttlefish, octopus or butterflies. This was the dark age of Greek jewellery.

The period of ancient Greek jewellery from 850 BC to 500 BC is known as archaic period which was greatly influenced by Assyrian and Egyptian patterns carried by Phoenician merchants, whowere crossing the Mediterranean Sea at that time. Basic techniques were same as were used in Assyrian and Egyptian styles of making jewellery. This age of Greek jewellery was the golden age and the primitive designs of making gold and silver jewellery were flowers and tassels. Main items that were made in this period were hoop earrings, filigree gold discs or rosettes.

Before the starting of early roman times, the period from 300 BC to 21 BC is known as Hellenistic period. When Alexander, The Great, conquered many places including Greece, the expensive gold pieces or stones became popular. And Egyptian themes and styles were revised. Basic styles and designs of Hellenistic age were gold pendants, cupids or doves. Long colored gemstones style was also introduced and liked much.

New stylish techniques of polychrome, rock crystal, chalcedony, cornelian and amethyst were also originated during this period. Old designs were revised and knot of Heracles or crown of Isis was added.


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Ancient Jewellery

Beautiful Greek and Roman Ancient Jewellery

Antique and ancient artifacts and treasures are loved ay everyone no matter what age group they belong to. These items hold fascination for onlookers as there is that historic quality about these items that makes them exciting and amazing. Ancient jewellery comprising of Roman earrings, Sarmatian rings, Byzantine bracelets, medieval rings, and Greek necklaces is also cherished by young and old people across the globe. These articles are sometimes shaped like ancient signs, symbols and letters. Lovely gold and silver work is also used to create unique and mesmerizing handcrafted jewellery articles. Authentic ancient earrings and rings can be selected as beautiful and memorable gifts.

Ancient rings made of bronze look amazing. Now replicas of these ancient relics are being made by contemporary designers who make use of the same materials and design. However, the original jewellery items can still be found in museums and antique shops and many people like to collect them. In addition to rings, bracelets and necklaces, ancient artifacts like statues and figurines are also used as decorative items in many parts of the world. You can find pure gold Sassanian ring engraved with bust of a king, and rare renaissance 22k gold ring with beautiful polychrome beads in this category.

Silver was also quite commonly used in ancient times to create beautiful and attractive jewellery articles. Georgian and Roman rings and bracelets can be found in this category. These ancient jewellery articles are light weight but very sturdy. 12-14th century Byzantine rings, silver legionnaire's rings, and Greco-Roman heart-shaped silver rings are quite popular. Byzantine jewellery is considered very precious and valuable. Filigree, embossing and chasing techniques became popular in that era along with some other decorative methods. Byzantines also used a black metallic alloy of copper, silver and lead, known as niello, to make refined jewellery articles.

Persian rings and bracelets were beautiful and prized during the Islamic era. Ancient jewellery comprising of beautiful filigree and other works of art also dominated during the Renaissance period. After the fall of the Roman Empire, medieval jewellery came into existence. Popular articles of that era consisted of garnet-inlaid designs and patterns. Celtic gold jewellery is also well-liked all over the world because of its uniqueness and allure. Celtic copper ring, which is also known as the ring of power, is beautiful. Similarly, pagan tear ring and marvelously decorated bronze ring with druid magic swirls is alluring and one-of-a-kind.

While looking for attractive ancient jewellery you will come across unique and extremely beautiful bronze medieval and Roman brooches. At that time heavy attire was used by men and women and to fasten it some kind of pin or brooch was required. These brooches came in lovely shapes and designs with interesting figures engraved or painted on them. In ancient Celtic jewellery the use of enamel was quite popular. Wire bracelets made of bronze or copper in many different styles are still very much liked by men and women of all ages. Techniques like engraving and casting were employed to make these articles look even more attractive.

Please visit our site for full information like history, designs, types, buying tips, caring tips, cleaning tips, importance and all other important aspects of all Jewellery items and its different types and designs. You will find tons of articles on all popular jewellery designs and types like Ancient Jewellery.


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For More quality and unique Information on the topic of Ancient Jewellery, please visit the following reference site:
Ancient Jewellery

Ancient Greek Jewelry

Ancient Greek jewelry commonly consisted of gold beads beautifully shaped like shells, flowers and even beetles. The fascination for jewelry in ancient Greece is quite evident from the excavations of beautiful necklaces and earrings from various sites, especially in the northern part of Greece.

The Greeks were great enthusiasts of jewelry and wore both simple as well as complex pieces. For making their jewelry items exclusive, the Greeks mostly used gemstones, the common ones being - emeralds, garnets, pearls and amethysts. The Greek craftsmen also created colored glass stones and enamel stones.

Complemented wonderfully well with images of the Greek Gods like - Eros, Nike, Artemis, and Aphrodite, all pieces of ancient Greek jewelry were explicitly unique. Some excellent jewelry pieces, made of beads, were in the shape of animals too. Pendant earrings bejeweled with Nike, Eros or dove figurines became an accepted fashion statement of those times.

Ornamental pendants, shaped like the classic Greek two-handled vase, were decorated with enamel or gemstones; these wonderful pendants were hung by a rosette. Not just pendants, chains were popular also. Spherical or wide chains of gold were worn as necklaces, with clasps of animal heads or dolphins. The superbly crafted Greek gold rings were set with gemstones.

The Greeks liked wearing gold wreaths as decorative headdresses, ornately adorned with flowers, acorns, foliage or images. With jewelry designs and techniques becoming advanced, the Greeks made a laurel headdress to be worn as a crown of honor. It represented Apollo, the god of divination and intelligence.

From its wide popularity in adorning ancient Greek jewelry to the modern times, the purple richness of amethyst has made it the most loved gemstone for decorating unique jewelry pieces. This purple gemstone has also been very much sought-after by people in authoritative positions. It was believed that amethyst symbolized the spirit of God.

The ideas of designing ancient Greek were countless. Studding with gemstones, outlining with borders, creating rippled designs, and other such innovations definitely added a creative touch to the Greek jewelry. Most of the magnificent necklace pieces often became the center of attention, adored and appreciated by one and all.

The unique Greek cross jewelry has gained a lot of appreciation and admiration by people all over the world. Its simple designs, or even plain looks, have made it a flexible jewelry item, suitable for any occasion. Jewelry lovers like flaunting the Greek cross on anklets, charm bracelets, or as earrings. In fact, the simplicity of the Greek jewelry does not, in any way, take the attention away from the rest of the costume. Instead, the beauty of Greek jewelry lies in the fact that it can perfectly complement any attire.

Ancient Greek jewelry pieces are often imitated to meet the needs of the present day, making fashionable jewelry items for everyday as well as occasional use. You can wear the Greek cross as a pendant, as earrings, or as a bracelet. The next time around you go in to buy special jewelry, look for ancient Greek jewelry designs, which are simple yet elegant enough to blend according to the minimal jewelry look of the modern times!

Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences.


Further Reading:
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For More quality and unique Information on the topic of Ancient Jewellery, please visit the following reference site:
Ancient Jewellery