Jewelry Designs using Artisan Lampwork Beads (Jewelry Inspirations)

The nobility and the rich middle class followed this fashion , and even the youngest scions were covered with jewels, as evidenced by the portrait of the Medici princess by Il Bronzino , as well as many others. Henry possessed more than one magnificent parure , or set of matching jewelry, designed for him by Holbein, as well as several hundred rings. Even hat brims were decorated, with designs in pearls as well as with pendants of great value. It consisted of wide gold bands decorated with embossing that formed medallions, in the centre of which were mounted large stones.

From the necklace hung a pendant. Women rarely limited themselves to a single necklace, usually wearing a choker-type necklace made of pearls, with or without a pendant, together with a longer second necklace made of gold, with or without the inclusion of gems. A third necklace was often hooked to the clothing, on the shoulders, and formed a double loop, being lifted up in the centre and fastened to the bodice with a jeweled pin.

The precious ornament on which the artist-jewelers lavished all their creativity and technical ability was the pendant. At first this consisted of a decorative medallion enclosing a cameo with figures and subjects of Classical derivation, such as busts of women and pagan deities. These figures were later enriched with inserts of gold, enamel, and gems, which enhanced the polychrome effect. Throughout Europe the ring enjoyed wide popularity in an unlimited variety of types, including those with a bezel that could be opened and used as a container for relics, symbols, or—as romantic tradition has it—poison.

Toward the end of the 16th century, the Renaissance style blended gradually into the manifestations of the Baroque period, which arose at different times in different countries. This gradual change in the style of jewelry was conditioned mainly by two factors. The first was of a technical nature and concerned improvements in the cutting of precious stones, while the second consisted of a great vogue for the cultivation of flowers.

Floral and vegetable decoration therefore became the most fashionable theme for jewelry designers, and its popularity spread throughout Europe. The ornamental motifs of knots, ribbons, and Rococo scrolls also saw a considerable development. There was a corresponding decrease in the amount of figurative decoration, which finally completely disappeared.

At first these ornamental forms were carried out in openwork gold jewelry , the majority of which was coloured with enamel. Later diamonds and other precious stones, whose popularity rose dramatically with the improvement in faceting techniques, became the real protagonists in the composition of jewelry. During the 17th century the number of pieces of jewelry worn decreased, as did the fashion for male adornment. The last monarch to make heavy use of jewels was Louis XIV , and the word heavy is used here in a literal sense, the great weight consisting mainly of gems with which the monarch covered himself for official ceremonies.

Those of London , Madrid, and Munich were not far behind. The precious ornaments worn by women started on the hat, on the side of which at least one striking aigrette spray of gems was fastened. Then came two or three heavy necklaces, each of which might have a pendant, then a belt that followed the pointed shape of the bodice. Other jewels were inserted along the armholes, shoulders, and wrists, and at least four rings were worn on the hands. Often the heavy fabrics used for the clothing were embroidered with gold thread. It was during this period that a spectacular form of jewelry was created in Spain , which in a more subdued form spread throughout Europe: With its heavily bejeweled composition of scrolls, leaves, and pendants on a gold framework that followed the curves of the body, even extending under the armpits, this jewel usually contained no fewer than 50 precious stones of different sizes.

A famous example is the one in emeralds from the treasure of the Virgin of Pilar , now displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum , London. About , Brazilian diamonds in large numbers were imported into Europe, and, during the course of the century, this stone became so popular that imitations were produced.

The jewelry of this period seems to have been created to glorify and exploit the cutting of diamonds and other precious stones. The dense forms of Baroque jewelry were replaced by an entirely different conception , in which the design was to appear in gems alone, while the metal setting was concealed to the greatest extent possible. The greater lightness that resulted was increased by the large number of empty spaces in the composition as well as by its lack of symmetry in many cases.

Wide choker necklaces with pendants were popular, and the stomacher brooch remained in style but in a lighter, airier form. The jeweled stems of the aigrette were often made so that they could sway back and forth in order to show off the sparkle of the diamonds that covered them.

The brooch in the shape of a bouquet of flowers, comprising a variety of gems, became fashionable. As in the 17th century, both men and women wore jeweled buckles on their shoes. A piece of jewelry that was widely used for daytime wear during this century was the chatelaine , on which, together with the watchcase, goldsmiths lavished some of their most highly refined work.

The chatelaine was a pendant made of jointed, embossed gold components of different shapes and sizes, with scenes and designs in elaborate frames.

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It was fastened by means of a hook to the belt or waistcoat pocket, and from its protruding points hung decorative chains of various lengths, on which men fastened their watches, the keys for winding them, and other accessories. Women used the chatelaine to carry keys, scissors, and other objects. During the last 30 years of the 18th century, the great sensation caused by the archaeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculaneum caused art forms to turn toward Classical ideals of harmony and brought about a decisive change in European tastes and decorative forms.

Curved lines no longer appeared in the ornamental repertoire, the new Neoclassical style being characterized by greater simplicity, together with severity of composition. Jewelry forms, too, were influenced by decorative motifs based on Greek and Roman models, and the cameo became fashionable once again.

Top 100 Bead Blogs and Websites for Beaded Jewelry Enthusiasts

An English pottery manufacturer, Josiah Wedgwood , made a big contribution to the popularization of the new jewelry forms. An expert technician, he produced reproductions of classic cameos , calling upon sculptors like John Flaxman to work with him on the execution of oval, round, and octagonal plaques with figures done in relief in a white paste on a light blue, green, black, or pink background. These plaques, framed in gold, were used for all sorts of jewelry—medallions, pins, pieces of diadems, belts, bracelets, and rings.

The Industrial Revolution destroyed forever the ancient role of jewelry as a symbol of social rank. The social evolution created a market for a vast quantity of jewelry at prices the middle class could afford, and so jewelry, too, succumbed to the machine. Hundreds of different components for ornaments were produced by machines, an electric gold-plating technique was invented, metal alloys were used in place of gold and silver, and the production of imitation stones increased in both quantity and quality. The jewelry produced in the 19th century is characterized by a stylistic eclecticism that takes its inspiration from all past styles— Gothic , Renaissance, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Rococo, Naturalistic, Moorish , and Indian , all tinged with the Sir Walter Scott — Lord Byron Romanticism of the period.

The painting provides documentation on the precious ornaments worn by the ladies who were present. In their jewelry, the conventional, rhetorical Empire style appears as a strict, uninspired interpretation of Classical motifs, a far cry from the exquisite Neoclassicism of the 18th century. Besides mass production , the 19th century saw the establishment of large artistic commercial firms that produced high-quality jewelry suited to the requirements of the prosperous new bourgeois class.

While always satisfying very high standards in regard to technique and materials, these firms tended, from the aesthetic point of view, to reflect the tastes of a bourgeois clientele , which are usually quite traditional. Petersburg in , which took over from the firm his father had started in He had a strong preference for the Louis XVI style but also made numerous objects in the Italian Renaissance, Rococo, and medieval styles, as well as in the so-called old Russian style, which is a mixture of Byzantine and Baroque elements.

In Paris in Alfred Cartier and his son Louis founded a jewelry firm of great refinement. The firm was distinguished for a production characterized by very fine settings, largely of platinum , which were designed so that only the precious stones, always selected from the very purest, were visible. At the beginning of the 20th century, Cartier was the most famous jeweler in the world, supplying jewels to the king of Portugal, the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the grand dukes and princes of Russia , the prince of Wales , and other notables.

In he introduced the Tiffany setting, a special type of fork for the setting of diamonds. Among his clients was U. The development of the movement called Art Nouveau at the end of the 19th century represented a reaction against the imitation of ancient styles and the emphasis given, in the creation of jewelry, to precious stones.

The material used for Art Nouveau jewelry was prized not for its intrinsic value but for its ability to render a design or to carry out chromatic effects. The new jewelry was made from any material that would best express the new symbolic or decorative ideas. Vegetable and animal components, together with the feminine figure, formed the basis for compositions made of flowing lines of rich plastic and chromatic effect and antistructural, dynamic design on a high artistic level.

Lalique personified the Art Nouveau jeweler-artist, his works providing evidence of such highly personal taste that they can be compared to Renaissance jewels. They lean toward a symbolism carried out by the use of milky or watery blue-green colours; of stones such as the opal; of disquieting animals such as the snake, the owl, the octopus, and the bat; and of feminine figures, usually enigmatic , mysterious, and dreamy. Enamel, ivory , vitreous paste, and engraved glass were often used by Lalique to obtain pictorial and plastic effects in his jewels.

Unlike Lalique, the jewelers Georges Fouquet — and Henri Vever — expressed themselves through more synthetic geometric forms. The Czechoslovak graphic designer Alphonse Mucha — , who worked in Paris, created a number of jewelry designs, transferring his brilliant talent as an illustrator to precious stones and metals. In the United States the floral style in jewelry found one of its most highly personal interpreters in Louis Comfort Tiffany — , one of the greatest of all American designers. In the creation of jewelry he expressed himself at first by transferring to Art Nouveau forms the colourful Asian and Byzantine style that so fascinated him.

His development of the richly coloured, iridescent Favrile glass created an international sensation. In this new phase, the stylistic trends—particularly the nonfigurative—that began to emerge in the most advanced jewelry creations were closely linked to those of painting and sculpture. Compositions were based mainly on the interplay of geometric forms. Like Art Nouveau jewelry, creations of the Art Deco movement named for the art displayed at the Paris exposition used materials suitable for expressing the new stylistic language.

Preference was given to the smooth, polished, satined surfaces of precious metals or even of steel. Diamonds and other precious stones were used sparingly, functioning largely as chromatic accents. In the same piece of jewelry, coral could be combined with diamonds, regardless of the great difference in intrinsic value, because their sole purpose was to satisfy the aesthetic requirements of the nonfigurative styles. Murphy in England, and Wiwen Nilsson in Sweden. Later, artists of great international renown devoted some of their creative efforts to the art of jewelry.

One of the most recent developments in modern mass-produced jewelry is the use of plastic. This material, as well as providing colour, can have mineral fragments or dust embedded in it or can be used in combination with more or less valuable metals, producing pieces of jewelry whose composition may call for considerable effort and which may be of much interest. Much of Chinese jewelry, of both recent and early date, displays the skill of the Chinese craftsmen, yet the work of the goldsmith or lapidary applied to personal ornament does not represent so distinct a branch of craft as it does in the West.

Most of the jewelry is designed to adorn the costume rather than the person: In the traditional costume of recent times, ornate hooks and buckles were used to attach girdles , and women wore strings of beads , often multiple and variously spaced, with decorative plaques and other larger ornaments interspersed. The beads might be attached to the neck, head, or waist, and their purpose was to dignify the whole figure, rather than to display the fine quality of a curiously wrought gem.

In any case, the splendour of the stuff of the costume, with richly woven or embroidered ornament, provided the distinctions of rank and wealth, and jewelry was often dispensed with altogether. In the time of the Shang dynasty , in the last centuries of the 2nd millennium bce , bone and ivory hairpins with ends carved in the form of birds or abstract figures were a popular adornment. The many finely wrought, small jade plaques of the period, depicting animals in profile, are in many cases clearly intended for sewing to the costume.

The earliest evidence of gold ornaments belongs to the time about bce , though these are harness mounts, or weapon parts, rather than jewelry in the usual sense. The latter is better represented by the belt hooks said to have been adopted from the nomads of inner Asia that were probably worn by both men and women. They were mostly made of bronze, with fine cast ornaments usually of abstracted dragon and bird heads. These belt hooks were inlaid with gold or silver foil, polished fragments of turquoise, or more rarely with jade or glass; sometimes they were gilded. Toward the end of the Han dynasty , probably not before the later 2nd century ce , the art of granulation was communicated to China from the Hellenized region of the Black Sea coast.

Granulation can be traced in China until about the 10th century ce , its discontinuation in the East curiously coinciding with the loss of the technique in the West. Granulation was combined with filigree, and hairpins, combs, earrings, and costume plaques survive in some quantity, particularly from the richly furnished tombs of the Tang dynasty — ce. There are plaques with birds and flowers delineated by soldered wire, inlaid with turquoise, on a ground of fine granulation that appears like a dust of gold. Meanwhile, hairpins of filigree, with heads shaped as butterflies or flowers, sometimes with pearls or small jade additions, continued the age-old fashion.

A scented hairpin takes the place of the scarf or ring of European romance. Gilded bronze and silver were the principal materials. There are accounts of elaborate headdresses , some no doubt of the kind representing a complete phoenix such as are to be seen on clay tomb statuettes of the Tang period, but no surviving examples of these can be attributed with certainty to the Song period. Jade ornaments during this period were still attached to the costume. They are never elaborately faceted, being simply ground flat and beveled at the edge for the most part, and are set nearly always en cabochon , with little polishing, sometimes even retaining the irregularities of the pebble.

The stones are invariably semiprecious: Until modern times, this last has been the most admired of the stones, especially the white variety, which was used for spacers and linking pieces in the silk and beaded hangings of elaborate costumes. Apart from the signet ring, the use of which may not go back beyond Ming times, the male could affect jewelry only in his accoutrement. From as early as bce until the 6th century ce , Japanese jewelry primarily consisted of comma-shaped objects—not usually more than an inch in length—carved initially of green jade and eventually of glass.

Called magatama , these beads or pendants were sometimes pierced to be strung in a necklace. The symbolic meaning of the magatama , which were often placed in tombs, can only be guessed at. Similar beads also were popular in Korea from the 3rd to the 6th century ce. Hairpins with elaborate heads were increasingly used in the Tokugawa Edo period — by women of the geisha and courtesan classes but not by women of other classes. The ivory girdle toggle called netsuke , always delicately and often intriguingly carved, was the only other personal ornament that usage allowed.

The Indian subcontinent consists of India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , and Sri Lanka , but at various times in history its domain had spread to include the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Myanmar Burma and parts of Afghanistan as well. Although there is some early archaeological evidence of rings, bracelets, and other types of jewelry from this region, most information on Indian jewelry comes from secondary sources such as sculpture and painting. It is dated roughly from to bce. From this period can be attributed a graceful bronze statue representing a nude dancer.

Her left arm is fully covered by armlets, and her right arm has an armlet at the elbow and another one near the wrist. This absolutely outstanding specimen provides documentation for the early establishment of the Indian practice of wearing multiple bangle bracelets. However, no other actual documentation of the way the pieces were worn is available for this period. Bronze, stone, and ivory sculptures have been discovered dating from the 2nd century bce onward.

These include two female figures found in Bharhut. The statues are mostly nude but wear veils on their heads and many different kinds of jewelry: Extensive documentation on jewels from the 4th—5th century ce is provided by Buddhist statues and the cycles of wall paintings in the Ajanta Caves. Although certainly not the only source for the representation of jewelry, the Ajanta site is one of the most extensive and best preserved.

The great variety of types of jewelry depicted and the dominance of polychromy indicate the high degree of development attained by the art of jewelry making. The lavish use of polychrome jewelry was possible because of the ancient practice of pearl diving and because of the wealth and variety of deposits of precious and semiprecious stones to be found in India and the neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. This situation of plenty, in combination with a favourable climate, helped goldsmiths and jewelers to proliferate and spread.

The jewelers were exceptionally skilled craftsmen, but they left no records of their names. In the Indus areas and in those under their influence, the setting, polishing, and piercing of precious and semiprecious stones underwent precocious evolution. Stonecutting was used throughout India, but it was generally considered preferable not to decrease the size of the stone.

In examples of existing jewelry from later periods, gems were mostly polished but not cut. In general, there was a preference for a many-hued rich effect. During the Mughal Empire — , rich rajas adorned themselves with jewels—on their turbans, on their ears, around their necks, inserted in their nostrils and between their teeth. The precious objects worn by women had great variety. For the head, women wore golden wreaths, large brooches, bands of gold leaves with a star in the middle set with gems, braids to be placed along the part in the hair, and tiaras in complicated shapes complete with many tinkling pendants.

Some Indian women wore a jewel on the forehead or pierced the nose in order to wear a jewel in the left nostril. A variety of forms were used for earrings , in which pearls, filigree, gems, and coral appeared in floral compositions with contrasting colours. Lotus leaves made of gold sheet were worn at the nape of the neck with bunches of gold flowers next to them.

Necklaces were worn in multiples and in many lengths, sometimes reaching the navel. Some necklaces were made of a combination of precious stones and pearls, while others were made of amulets in various shapes. A very early type of Hindu amulet called a nauratan was made of a gold plaque with nine precious stones fastened above it. A series of nauratan s could be used to form a necklace.

Jeweled belts followed the shape of the body and often had extra pieces that reached up to the neck or down to the bracelets worn around the thigh. Ankle bracelets were often linked by tiny decorative chains running down the instep to the rings on the toes. Jewelry continued to play an important role in modern Indian dress.

In the early 20th century the manufacture of synthetic gemstones grew quickly, providing traditional jewelry at more affordable prices for a larger market.

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There is a long gold-working tradition among the peoples of Southeast Asia , whose jewelry shows evidence of Tibetan, Chinese, and Indian stylistic influence. The areas in which personal ornamentation with precious objects underwent the greatest development were Myanmar Burma , Cambodia , Laos , and Vietnam. Myanmar jewels are outstanding for the beauty of their designs and for the technical accomplishment of their workmanship. Typical of them are the conical headdress , reflecting the traditional architectural form of the stupa Buddhist shrine , and the bejeweled rigid shoulder decorations with a raised line similar to that of pagoda roofs, worn by dancers in addition to arm and ankle bracelets, belts, and brooches made of gold and coloured stones.

Although it has its own distinct characteristics, Myanmar jewelry was influenced by Indian styles, especially in regard to a taste for the overall effect—focusing on the entire composition of a piece rather than on each single jewel. Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam were subject to greater Chinese influence because of their geographic position. In these areas, too, the principal documentation for the period when precious ornamentation experienced its most flourishing development is to be found in Buddhist sculpture. The outstanding forms of expression in the art of jewelry were thus linked to religious rites, contributing to the glorification of the figures worshiped by the cult.

It is to the Scythians, a seminomadic people from the Eurasian steppes who moved out from southern Russia into the territory between the Don and the Danube and then into Mesopotamia, that we owe a type of gold production which, on the basis of its themes, is classified today as animal style. During the early period 5th—4th century bce , this style appeared on shaped, pierced plaques made of gold and silver , which showed running or fighting animals reindeer, lions, tigers, horses alone or in pairs facing each other, embossed with powerful plasticity and free interpretation of the forms.

The period also saw the early stages of costume jewellery , with fish scale covered glass beads in place of pearls or conch shell cameos instead of stone cameos. New terms were coined to differentiate the arts: Starting in the late 18th century, Romanticism had a profound impact on the development of western jewellery. Changing social conditions and the onset of the Industrial Revolution also led to growth of a middle class that wanted and could afford jewellery.

As a result, the use of industrial processes, cheaper alloys, and stone substitutes led to the development of paste or costume jewellery. Distinguished goldsmiths continued to flourish, however, as wealthier patrons sought to ensure that what they wore still stood apart from the jewellery of the masses, not only through use of precious metals and stones but also though superior artistic and technical work. A category unique to this period and quite appropriate to the philosophy of romanticism was mourning jewellery.

It originated in England, where Queen Victoria was often seen wearing jet jewellery after the death of Prince Albert , and it allowed the wearer to continue wearing jewellery while expressing a state of mourning at the death of a loved one. Tiffany's put the United States on the world map in terms of jewellery and gained fame creating dazzling commissions for people such as the wife of Abraham Lincoln. Later, it would gain popular notoriety as the setting of the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The modern production studio had been born and was a step away from the former dominance of individual craftsmen and patronage. This period also saw the first major collaboration between East and West. Many whimsical fashions were introduced in the extravagant eighteenth century. Cameos that were used in connection with jewellery were the attractive trinkets along with many of the small objects such as brooches, ear-rings and scarf-pins.

Some of the necklets were made of several pieces joined with the gold chains were in and bracelets were also made sometimes to match the necklet and the brooch. At the end of the Century the jewellery with cut steel intermixed with large crystals was introduced by an Englishman, Matthew Boulton of Birmingham. Motifs included orchids, irises, pansies, vines, swans, peacocks, snakes, dragonflies, mythological creatures, and the female silhouette. The new style moved the focus of the jeweller's art from the setting of stones to the artistic design of the piece itself. Lalique's dragonfly design is one of the best examples of this.

Enamels played a large role in technique, while sinuous organic lines are the most recognisable design feature. The end of World War I once again changed public attitudes, and a more sober style developed. Growing political tensions, the after-effects of the war, and a reaction against the perceived decadence of the turn of the 20th century led to simpler forms, combined with more effective manufacturing for mass production of high-quality jewellery.

Covering the period of the s and s, the style has become popularly known as Art Deco. Walter Gropius and the German Bauhaus movement, with their philosophy of "no barriers between artists and craftsmen" led to some interesting and stylistically simplified forms. Modern materials were also introduced: Technical mastery became as valued as the material itself.

In the West, this period saw the reinvention of granulation by the German Elizabeth Treskow , although development of the re-invention has continued into the s. It is based on the basic shapes. In Asia, the Indian subcontinent has the longest continuous legacy of jewellery making anywhere, [ citation needed ] with a history of over 5, years.

Early jewellery making in China started around the same period, but it became widespread with the spread of Buddhism around 2, years ago. The Chinese used silver in their jewellery more than gold. Blue kingfisher feathers were tied onto early Chinese jewellery and later, blue gems and glass were incorporated into designs. However, jade was preferred over any other stone. The Chinese revered jade because of the human-like qualities they assigned to it, such as its hardness, durability, and beauty.

Jade rings from between the 4th and 7th centuries BC show evidence of having been worked with a compound milling machine , hundreds of years before the first mention of such equipment in the west. In China, the most uncommon piece of jewellery is the earring, which was worn neither by men nor women. Dragons, Chinese symbols, and phoenixes were frequently depicted on jewellery designs.

The Chinese often placed their jewellery in their graves. Most Chinese graves found by archaeologists contain decorative jewellery. The Indian subcontinent has a long jewellery history, which went through various changes through cultural influence and politics for more than 5,—8, years. Because India had an abundant supply of precious metals and gems, it prospered financially through export and exchange with other countries. While European traditions were heavily influenced by waxing and waning empires, India enjoyed a continuous development of art forms for some 5, years.

By BC, the peoples of the Indus Valley were creating gold earrings and necklaces, bead necklaces, and metallic bangles. Before BC, prior to the period when metals were widely used, the largest jewellery trade in the Indus Valley region was the bead trade. Beads in the Indus Valley were made using simple techniques.

First, a bead maker would need a rough stone, which would be bought from an eastern stone trader. The stone would then be placed into a hot oven where it would be heated until it turned deep red, a colour highly prized by people of the Indus Valley. The red stone would then be chipped to the right size and a hole bored through it with primitive drills. The beads were then polished. Some beads were also painted with designs.

This art form was often passed down through the family. Children of bead makers often learned how to work beads from a young age. Each stone had its own characteristics related to Hinduism. Jewellery in the Indus Valley was worn predominantly by females, who wore numerous clay or shell bracelets on their wrists. They were often shaped like doughnuts and painted black. Over time, clay bangles were discarded for more durable ones. In present-day India , bangles are made out of metal or glass.

Although women wore jewellery the most, some men in the Indus Valley wore beads. The beads were about one millimetre long. A female skeleton presently on display at the National Museum, New Delhi, India wears a carlinean bangle bracelet on her left hand. Kada is a special kind of bracelet and is widely popular in Indian culture. They symbolizes animals like peacock, elephant, [43] etc. According to Hindu belief, gold and silver are considered as sacred metals.

Gold is symbolic of the warm sun, while silver suggests the cool moon. Both are the quintessential metals of Indian jewellery. Pure gold does not oxidise or corrode with time, which is why Hindu tradition associates gold with immortality. Gold imagery occurs frequently in ancient Indian literature. In the Vedic Hindu belief of cosmological creation, the source of physical and spiritual human life originated in and evolved from a golden womb hiranyagarbha or egg hiranyanda , a metaphor of the sun, whose light rises from the primordial waters.

Only royalty and a few others to whom they granted permission could wear gold ornaments on their feet. This would normally be considered breaking the appreciation of the sacred metals. Even though the majority of the Indian population wore jewellery, Maharajas and people related to royalty had a deeper connection with jewellery.

The Maharaja 's role was so important that the Hindu philosophers identified him as central to the smooth working of the world. He was considered as a divine being, a deity in human form, whose duty was to uphold and protect dharma, the moral order of the universe. Navaratna nine gems is a powerful jewel frequently worn by a Maharaja Emperor. Each of these stones is associated with a celestial deity, represented the totality of the Hindu universe when all nine gems are together.

The diamond is the most powerful gem among the nine stones. There were various cuts for the gemstone. Indian Kings bought gemstones privately from the sellers.

Glass and Jewelry

Maharaja and other royal family members value gem as Hindu God. They exchanged gems with people to whom they were very close, especially the royal family members and other intimate allies. As the empire matured, differing styles of ornament acquired the generic name of sarpech , from sar or sir, meaning head, and pech, meaning fastener.

India was the first country to mine diamonds , with some mines dating back to BC. India traded the diamonds, realising their valuable qualities. Mughal emperors and Kings used the diamonds as a means of assuring their immortality by having their names and worldly titles inscribed upon them. Moreover, it has played and continues to play a pivotal role in Indian social, political, economic, and religious event, as it often has done elsewhere. In Indian history, diamonds have been used to acquire military equipment, finance wars, foment revolutions, and tempt defections.

They have contributed to the abdication or the decapitation of potentates. They have been used to murder a representative of the dominating power by lacing his food with crushed diamond. Indian diamonds have been used as security to finance large loans needed to buttress politically or economically tottering regimes.

Victorious military heroes have been honoured by rewards of diamonds and also have been used as ransom payment for release from imprisonment or abduction. Jewellery played a major role in the fate of the Americas when the Spanish established an empire to seize South American gold. Jewellery making developed in the Americas 5, years ago in Central and South America. Large amounts of gold was easily accessible, and the Aztecs , Mixtecs , Mayans , and numerous Andean cultures, such as the Mochica of Peru, created beautiful pieces of jewellery.

With the Mochica culture, goldwork flourished. The pieces are no longer simple metalwork, but are now masterful examples of jewellery making. Pieces are sophisticated in their design, and feature inlays of turquoise, mother of pearl, spondylus shell, and amethyst. The nose and ear ornaments, chest plates, small containers and whistles are considered masterpieces of ancient Peruvian culture.

Among the Aztecs, only nobility wore gold jewellery, as it showed their rank, power, and wealth. Gold jewellery was most common in the Aztec Empire and was often decorated with feathers from Quetzal birds and others. In general, the more jewellery an Aztec noble wore, the higher his status or prestige.

The Emperor and his High Priests, for example, would be nearly completely covered in jewellery when making public appearances. Although gold was the most common and a popular material used in Aztec jewellery, jade , turquoise , and certain feathers were considered more valuable. Priests also used gem-encrusted daggers to perform animal and human sacrifices.

Another ancient American civilization with expertise in jewellery making were the Maya. At the peak of their civilization, the Maya were making jewellery from jade, gold, silver, bronze , and copper. Maya designs were similar to those of the Aztecs, with lavish headdresses and jewellery. The Maya also traded in precious gems. However, in earlier times, the Maya had little access to metal, so they made the majority of their jewellery out of bone or stone.

Merchants and nobility were the only few that wore expensive jewellery in the Maya region, much the same as with the Aztecs. The turquoise was used in necklaces and to be placed in earrings. Native Americans with access to oyster shells, often located in only one location in America, traded the shells with other tribes, showing the great importance of the body adornment trade in Northern America. Native American jewellery is the personal adornment, often in the forms of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, pins, brooches, labrets, and more, made by the Indigenous peoples of the United States.

Native American jewellery reflects the cultural diversity and history of its makers. Native American tribes continue to develop distinct aesthetics rooted in their personal artistic visions and cultural traditions. Artists create jewellery for adornment, ceremonies, and trade. Lois Sherr Dubin writes, "[i]n the absence of written languages, adornment became an important element of Indian [Native American] communication, conveying many levels of information. It remains a major statement of tribal and individual identity. Metalsmiths, beaders, carvers, and lapidaries combine a variety of metals, hardwoods, precious and semi-precious gemstones, beadwork , quillwork , teeth, bones, hide, vegetal fibres, and other materials to create jewellery.

Contemporary Native American jewellery ranges from hand-quarried and processed stones and shells to computer-fabricated steel and titanium jewellery. Jewellery making in the Pacific started later than in other areas because of recent human settlement. Early Pacific jewellery was made of bone, wood, and other natural materials, and thus has not survived. Most Pacific jewellery is worn above the waist, with headdresses, necklaces, hair pins, and arm and waist belts being the most common pieces.

Jewellery in the Pacific, with the exception of Australia, is worn to be a symbol of either fertility or power. Elaborate headdresses are worn by many Pacific cultures and some, such as the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea , wear certain headdresses once they have killed an enemy. About Blog Explore the blog to find innovative ideas that you can use to work with beads. About Blog Bead addict is a blog where Lori Schneider shares her designs and ideas for making creative use of beads. About Blog A blog about beading. Follow to find interesting things to do with beads.

Top Bead Blogs and Websites for Beaded Jewelry Enthusiasts

About Blog A blog that deals with adventures and experiments in creating handcrafted jewelry with beads, gems, crystals, and, traditional textiles and embroidery, like beadwork ,folk embroidery ,etc Frequency about 1 post per month. About Blog Learn to make jewelry using lampworked beads.

About Blog Explore the blog to find handmade jewelry made using beads. Kuhlman featuring one of a kind, handmade jewelry using wire wrapping techniques, semi-precious stones, pearls, crystals, and Czech glass. The mission is to bring together the talents of one artist, and in the future other artists, and make their creations accessible to the public. About Blog In this blog you will find handcrafted bead jewelry. Estonia About Blog Jewelry by mdmButiik is made from vintage crystals and rhinestones, pearls, beads and new antique copper coated brass.

About Blog A place where you will find a lot of creative ideas and techniques for beading. Learn to make unique handmade jewelry. About Blog A blog about handmade glass lampwork beads. About Blog A blog for jewellery designers looking for unique beads, and jewellery lovers looking for a gift or a treat for yourself. About Blog A blog featuring original seed bead patterns and designs by Bead Crumbs.

About Blog A blog encouraging and inspiring all the bead lovers to embrace the art of seed beading. About Blog The blog will keep you posted on latest design jewelry. The primary focus is intricate beadwork. About Blog The channel focuses on providing useful on beading techniques and projects. Stay up to date with the latest beadwork methods, with a heavy emphasis on complete projects that you can do to start to finish.

About Blog The Esty BeadWeavers is made up of bead artists who aspire to successfully market their beadwoven creations on Etsy. The Beadweavers' creations are different from many of the traditional beaded items, in that they are woven from hundreds or thousands of tiny beads to create intricate designs and pictures. These weavings take the form of both art and jewelry. About Blog Blog on handmade beaded jewellery and beading designs. About Blog Learn the art and creativity of bead weaving.

Also find various tips and ideas to create unique handmade jewelry. About Blog Find collection of designer lampwork glass beads by Laura Sparling. About Blog Handcrafted jewelry, beads, and findings made with imagination by Leah Curtis. About Blog The blog provides handmade jewelry designs and inspiration. About Blog The blog features unique handmade beaded jewelry.

Beads Direct About - Beads Direct is your award winning one-stop-shop for beaders and jewellery makers.

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Nalu Beads About - Each one of our collectable lampwork beads has been designed and individually handmade using beautiful Effetre Murano glass. Beads Jar About - BeadsJar stock a huge variety of beads, charms, findings, tools and stringing materials for all your jewellery making needs. Plus design ideas and tutorials! Jillybeads About - With everything from glass beads to genuine Swarovski crystals, JillyBeads is one of the UK's largest suppliers of high quality beads, wholesale beads and beading supplies. Craftaholique About - Craftaholique is a UK craft blog powered by a passion for beading and jewellery making.

I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. If your blog is one of the Top Bead blogs, you have the honour of displaying the following badge on your site.

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Top Bead blogs. Bozic Art About Blog Bozic Art channel is all about step-by-step tutorials of best professional beading. Aleshia Beadifulnights About Blog Find new designs and experiments to do with various beads sizes and shapes. JRPDesigns About Blog Subscribe to the channel to find great designs and tutorials to make jewelry and learn something new about beading. Sara Spoltore About Blog A channel for all those who love beading.

Beads Direct About Blog Beads Direct is your award winning one-stop-shop for beaders and jewellery makers. Linda's Crafty Inspirations About Blog In this blog you will find crafts, beading, greeting cards, digital graphics, tutorials and more. John Bead About Blog John Bead was established in by Fritz John, who desired to introduce the quality and timeless elegance of Czech crystal culture into the world of western DIY crafts and design.

Fusion Beads Seattle, WA About Blog Fusion Beads mission is to bring you a well-organized and easy-to-use site filled with information and inspiration. Trollbeads Gallery Blog every story has a bead Massachusetts About Blog Trollbeads Gallery Blog shares unique ideas, designs and collections for all the enthusiastic beaders. Candie Cooper Middle America About Blog Candie Cooper is a jewelry designer with a passion for combining unique materials and color combinations, inspired by extensive travel and her years living in China.

SWCreations Handmade Jewelry Texas About Blog Stephanie White has been creating and designing original handcrafted jewelry and gorgeous beaded gifts for more than a decade. Humblebeads Michigan About Blog Humblebeads provides nature inspired beads for creative designers around the world.