Ottoman Empire jewellery When  we hear or read about Ottoman jewelry, the term usually refers to the lavish and grandious Ottoman court jewellery, that can still be seen on display in the Topkapi Palace in Istambul. Although all kind of jewellery have stories and is interesting from my point of view, I am inclined to research about other ornament items that were made outside the court by silversmiths in diverse cities and villages along this vast empire. The information around this jewellery items is scarce, apart from some books and studies that specifically mention the influence of Ottoman tastes in local production. Ottoman jewellery history The beauty of Ottoman pieces of [...]

Yemen woman's silver jewelry Over the last few years, Yemen jewelry has been actively sought by ethnic jewellery collectors. The tradition of wearing heavy silver jewellery is dissapearing very fast, and good quality pieces are becoming difficult to find. The traditional silver jewelry made by Arab and more specifically Yemeni women indicated the place a woman occupied in society, the tribe or the village and whether or not she was married.  They were not only intended to make her beautiful: their amulet shape and the colors of the stones also granted her protection.  Moreover, this silver was a kind of investment.  It belonged to the women and was only sold by them when their daughters married, divorced, [...]

In the winter of 2006, a new sort of Mongolian paintings began to appear on the market, especially ebay. Compared to the thangkas, these were usually extremely small, as few as three centimeters in length although most were 5 to 15 centimeters on their longest side, and some were larger. The quality of the artistic craftsmanship ranged from splendid to dreadful, indicating that their original purchasers were from a wide range of economic statuses. Most of these miniature thangkas depicted deities who would be familiar to anyone well acquainted with Vajrayana Buddhist iconography, but the size of these miniature thangkas was rarely seen in the West. Once they began to appear, they arrived on eBay in significant [...]

Old Indian anklets Foot ornaments play an important role in India, particularly in rural areas where people usually walk barefoot. Like all the other jewelry in India, anklets and paizebh (chains for the ankle) are specific for an ethnic group or province and therefore an identification mark. This is the reason why there is such a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In general, foot jewellery is made of silver or of base metals, because the body below the waistline is supposed to be impure. However, Royal and rich ladies did wear gold and gems on their foot. Why Indian woman wear anklets? Anklets are part of the dowry a woman [...]

Indian amulets Amulets were worn in India already in pre-historic times. The earliest evidence appears in the Vedas which often mention the use of amulets called “mani” which means jewel. Later on, (still now) the amulets are called “kavacha” (armour). Amulets act as energy-loaded items which can effectively make the threats harmless and thereby protect the wearer. There is a wide variety of amulets in India. Formerly, and to a great extend still today, practically all body ornaments are worn for a protective purpose and are, in fact, considered to be a form of amulet. They can be worn on any part of the body, although they are usually placed close to the area that has to [...]

Silver and gold from Sri Lanka Jewellery making in Sri Lanka is an ancient craft that has been in practice for centuries. Sri Lanka's jewelry history dates back some 3,000 years. Recently, archaeological discoveries were made in Sri Lankan burial grounds which can be traced back to 1000 BCE. The ancient discoveries included pieces of jewelry set with polished gemstones and beads originating from Sri Lanka. Due to its rich gem and jewelry history, centuries ago, Sri Lanka earned itself the nickname of 'Ratnadeepa' or 'Gem Island'. Some history on Sri Lanka jewelry In pre-colonial times, Sri Lankan jewelry thrived under the patronage of royalty and wealthy people. Artisans working with [...]