Most often their jewelry held special religious symbols
Ancient Greece was the birthplace of several types of fashion jewelry worn today, such as the cameos fashioned by Greek jewelry makers. Most often ancient Greek women wore jewelry for commemorating the special occasions of their lives as well as for any appearances in public. They were especially fond of precious metals, such as gold, silver and bronze, while they enjoyed the stunning appearance of pearls, emeralds and amethyst as well as other interesting gemstones. Jewelry then was most often given as gifts, while showing off their social status of wealth as well as for the beauty. Later they incorporated the use of clay and ivory into their jewelry ensembles. Most often their jewelry held special religious symbols, while other styles offered the comfort of lending the owner mystic powers and protection.
Meanwhile, the ancient Romans added their own special flair of creative artistry into jewelry making styles, such as the ever popular brooch. However, their pinning creation was born of the need for securely fastening their clothing. The ancient Romans were very fond of imported goods and made beautiful use of such gemstones as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and amber. Although the majority of Roman men wore one ring upon a finger, however, there were some who wore more, their women usually wore many more pieces of jewelry than they. Rings of that time were often carved of beautiful gemstones, and utilized for sealing documents with an engraved wax seal, as was customary during the middle ages by kings and noblemen alike.
For larger collections of jewelry the small jewelry box is often inadequate and that is why “jewelry chests” fill an important niche in the jewelry box market. Jewelry chests are usually crafted from wood and are often handed down as heirlooms. Jewelry aside, the boxes are by themselves quite beautiful as they have finishes of mahogany, cherry, burlwood and maple. The chests are 12 inches across or more and have plush linings, meticulously crafted hinges and usually come with a lock and key. The starting price for jewelry chests is generally around $100 and for an heirloom jewelry chest you can expect to pay as much as $350. An average price for a good quality jewelry chest would be $225.
July 22, 2010
Posted in: Jewelry
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