Each society had its own conceptions of beauty. Greece was not a country with abundant gold reserves. Therefore, occupations related to gold such as goldsmiths were not common. However, this does not mean that Ancient Greek Jewellery was not used by the Greek.
Ancient Greek Jewellery
Moreover, Jewellery was not only used to attract attention or beautify oneself, but also to ward off evil powers. Some ornaments were believed to have magical powers. The earliest ancient Greek jewelry may be traced back to 1600 BC.
Use of jewelry progressed rapidly during the 9th century when Greece acquired contacts with the gold markets of the east and Egypt. Jewellery dedicated to gods has been found. Semi-precious stones and beads shaped like shells and animals were the characteristics of early Greek jewelry. The Hellenic period from 330 to 27 BC influenced Greek jewelry than any other period.
Most of the Ancient Greek Jewellery was made of gold and silver. However, Ivory, gemstones, clay, bronze was also used. Necklaces, earrings, armbands, thigh bands, rings, pendants, pins, bracelets, wreaths, diadems, and other hair ornaments were worn by the ancient Greek woman. The commonly used Gemstones in jewelry were amethyst, pearls, chalcedony, carnelian, garnet, and emeralds.
Wreaths were a particular type of jewelry. They refer to honorary accolades of important people, such as winners in athletic or other events. Diadems were the crows of royal families. Bracelets were used both in the hands and the wrist. Rings were small and beautiful and began to be used even from the Neolithic period onwards.
Ancient Greek Earrings
They were buried in tombs or offered in altars. Earrings were sometimes unusually large. They were also of peculiar shapes. Earrings decorated with a siren and seashells at the endings were found from the 5th century BC. Broaches were first found during the Mycenaean years.
Jewellery had in the images of animals and insects. It also depicted shells together with a motif depicting men, women and mythological figures and entire heroic scenes. Designs included and shells together with a motif depicting men, women and mythological figures and entire heroic scenes.
What was Ancient Greek Jewelry made out of
The Greeks have skilled the production of intricate miniature motifs. The jewelers used gold and silver together with pearls, emeralds, garnets, and amethysts. Jewellery was worn mostly for special occasions. It indicated the status and wealth of an individual. It was also believed that jewelry protected the wearer from Evil Eye. Some ornaments had religious symbolism and others endowed the wearer with supernatural powers.
Two styles of pieces have been found; cast pieces and pieces hammered out of sheet metal. Casting pieces were made by casting the metal onto two stone or clay molds. The two halves were joined together by wax at the center.
The hammered sheet type was more common. Sheets of metal would be hammered to the thickness and then soldered together. The inside of the two sheets would be filled with wax or another liquid to preserve the metal work.
Ancient Greek Jewelry Museum
Many Greek ornaments are preserved in the British Museum and various other museums around the globe.
