'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 6

'MORE YOU KNOW' MONDAY ::: VOL. 6

JEWELRY + FEMINISM

While I’m not a sparkly-gemstone-wearing-jewelry-as-a-status-symbol kinda gal, I am very pro-making-a-statement-taking-up-space kinda gal and am looking forward to a shift from years of minimalist jewelry to more bold designs.  I found this article by Melanie Grant interesting and hope you do too.  Enjoy!

*BELOW IS A REPOST OF AN ARTICLE WRITTEN FOR BRITISH VOUGE BY MELANIE GRANT

Feminism for me is all about freedom. It is the freedom to choose marriage and babies or business and solitude, to wear hot pants to work and buy a diamond tiara with your own hard-earned money. After all, for much of history, our bodies were not our own. If you go back to Victorian England, a woman could not initiate divorce; she could be beaten up and sexually assaulted; denied control of her money and access to her own children. All this was legally allowed within marriage.

Chastity was the ultimate female virtue, and the only women wild enough to rebel against that were the courtesans; beautiful, independent and seductive mistresses to the most powerful men in society. They wore couture, they owned castles, they took lovers, and most importantly, they were bedecked in lashings of jewellery.

Born in 1836, Cora Pearl was one such woman. She was born in Plymouth but became one of the most famous courtesans Paris had ever seen, seducing Napoleon’s cousin Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte, who bought her a palace a stone’s throw from the Louvre. Considered too dangerous for polite society, she would canter salaciously down the Champs-Élysées on horseback, the proud owner of millions of francs worth of diamonds and pearls. Another notorious British beauty called Sophia Baddeley, an actress and courtesan, was rumoured to own not one but four huge diamond necklaces, which she would parade in her private box at the theatre to gasps of admiration.

The jewels of these women represented both financial freedom and an overt femininity, because “respectable” or pious women had at this time traditionally gone without jewellery, their bareness almost being a badge of honour. Save for the nobility, the spectacle of serious jewellery was seen as flagrant, tied up with the scandalous notion of sensuality because of the attention it drew to a woman’s décolletage, throat and wrists.  

Courtesan Cora Pearl in all her finery    Hulton Archive

Feminism as a movement has managed to separate women from the austere. Today, a razor-sharp intelligence and flamboyant style aren’t seen as mutually exclusive. Virginity thankfully has no bearing on the depth of one’s character. Yet that freedom can be taken away from us at any moment. While doing research for Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewellery, I interviewed Sharon Khazzam, a jeweller in New York, whose Atteba necklace boasts a gigantic 44 carat emerald cabochon edged in black diamonds and studded with Paraiba tourmalines. Its design was inspired by the hypnotic green eyes, lined in black kohl, of a stranger she stumbled across one day while running errands. Khazzam was instantly taken back to her childhood in Iran, where, during the 1979 Revolution, women who had been at liberty to wear mini-skirts and make-up one day were banned from doing so the next.

Sharon Khazzam’s emerald and Paraiba tourmaline Atteba necklace was inspired by the kohl-lined green eyes of a stranger

Feminism, as one of the deepest struggles of modern times, still has work to do, and jewellery has become another weapon in the war for equal rights. Almost 100 years ago, design shifted towards a bolder, more streamlined silhouette with the likes of Suzanne Belperron, who created comfortable yet grand sculptural styles that powerful women wanted to wear in the 1930s. Then post-war, women had their own disposable income for the first time, having been drafted in to do jobs in factories and offices that were usually reserved for men. The jewellery they bought for themselves was often less flouncy. It was bigger and sometimes even political, they wore more of it because now it had meaning, and at times it became art. My book examines this transition. Feminism is now in its fourth wave, defined by technology, social justice and #MeToo. This has enabled female designers to challenge the status quo, with Asia arguably leading the way. Michelle Ong, Cindy Chao, Feng J and Anna Hu are fearless pioneers of large, complex, beautifully crafted pieces worn by equally strong women whose buying habits are fuelled by new wealth.

The world is certainly changing. Back in London, the jeweller Solange Azagury-Partridge, who fought her own battle with imposter syndrome in the 1990s when she started out, now refuses to take no for an answer. She knows she deserves a seat at the top table, and that confidence runs parallel with the evolution of female empowerment. Sometimes that means understanding we deserve the success we’ve earned, and sometimes it means wearing something brazen – such as Azagury-Partridge’s Stoned necklace – whenever and wherever we want.

Solange Azagury Partridge’s Stoned necklace

Jewellery as a talisman of our life journey is all the stronger for it because it is a tangible embodiment of our achievements. Azagury-Partridge’s clients are women at the top of their game in law, art and entertainment, and they aren’t trying to prove anything because they now have real power. They wear her jewellery because it makes them feel good, not for anyone else’s benefit. “They (the jewels) are slightly fuck off, aren’t they? Slightly fuck you,” she says gleefully, and I’m inclined to agree with her. So much of feminism is about feeling you have the right to be yourself, and fabulous jewellery expresses that for all to see.

'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 5

'MORE YOU KNOW' MONDAY ::: VOL. 5

ANCIENT GREECE

Since the Ancient Grecians were greatly inspired by other cultures and nations such as the Romans, Assyrians, and Egyptians, they portrayed this influence in their fashion and jewelry, taking different styles from different cultures. The influence of Roman culture is evident in Ancient Greek jewelry due to the appearance of precious stones such as topaz, amethyst, and aquamarine. The Ancient Grecians used their jewelry to represent the high rank of their gods, goddesses, and important events in Ancient Greek history, through picturesque pendants, detailed filigree techniques, and granule work. To understand Ancient Greek jewelry and the concepts behind it better, let’s talk a bit about the importance of jewelry in Ancient Greek and what it represented in Ancient Greek society.

Importance of Jewelry in Ancient Greece:

From Zeus to Aether to Helios, it’s clear that the Ancient Grecians worshipped their sky deities blindly, so it only makes sense to incorporate them in and showcase their importance through jewelry. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was honored through crescent earrings featuring sophisticated granule work.

Although the Ancient Grecians used jewelry to symbolize their respect for their gods and goddesses, their main purpose to showcase their immense wealth, status, and taste since jewelry was expensive and hard to attain during that time. As with many ancient cultures, the world’s current collection of Ancient Greek jewelry mostly comes from funerary graves, because the Ancient Grecians believed their jewelry to be so important and valuable that it would travel to the afterlife with the deceased owner.

5 Themes in Ancient Greek Jewelry:

From the Bronze Age to Classical Greek Era to the Hellenistic Period, Ancient Greek jewelry styles differed in terms of dominating, distinct themes which would give it a signature style. While it can be hard to describe Ancient Greek jewelry without going into detail about the three different ages of Ancient Greece, several trends lasted hundreds of years and dominated Grecian jewelry design. Below are a few of the themes that appeared throughout most of the eras when it came to jewelry and fashion.

1) Gods and Goddesses:

Ancient Grecians were a polytheistic people and their gods often manifest in gold. Eros is a most popular choice, but many deities are represented in surviving works.

2) Animals:

Incorporating depictions of animals and insects into jewelry was a common practice during the Minoan era, including lions, snakes, cows, sheep. The Assyrian's popularized the rams heads motif shown in the earrings below - but the theme continued to be showcased into Greek and then Roman jewelry and depictions.

3) Filigree & Granulation:

Detailed works such as the filigree techniques and granule work became highly popular in the Classical Greek era, also known as the Golden Era, and showed up in the form of delicate bracelets, typical rosettes, and laurel wreaths. Gold became the most used metal in the era and sheets upon sheets of the expensive material were forged to make the most delicate and intricately detailed jewelry for the elites.

4) Celestial Bodies:

From Zeus to Aether to Helios, it’s clear that the Ancient Grecians worshipped their sky deities blindly, so it only makes sense to incorporate them in and showcase their importance through jewelry. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was honored through crescent earrings featuring sophisticated granule work.

5) Pearls:

In Greek Mythology, pearls are said to be the tears of joy of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, which shows that pearls are a sacred stone to the Ancient Grecians. Pearls were also associated with Isis, the goddess of healing.  Incorporating pearls in jewelry was also a tribute to Poseidon, the god of the sea, and was believed to help with health and immunity when worn frequently. This made pearls a popular stone when it came to sparkling up jewelry with brighter stones.

One thing that’s evident in Ancient Greek jewelry and fashion is that they valued their gods and deities above all. Without saying anything at all, Ancient Greek jewelry represented all that Ancient Grecians stood for and especially their wealth.

'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 4

'MORE YOU KNOW' MONDAY ::: VOL. 4

(and you thought I forgot this weeks lesson:)

BAHRAIN

In ancient times, Bahrain was part of an empire known as Dilmun. It was later called Tyros by the Greeks. The name "Bahrain" is derived from the Arabic word Bahr , meaning "sea."

Bahrain is an archipelago made up of Bahrain Island and thirty smaller islands. It is located in the Persian Gulf near the Arabian Peninsula, 120 miles southwest of Iran, 14 miles to the east of Saudi Arabia, and 17 miles to the west of the Qatar Peninsula. The main island, which accounts for seven-eighths of the country's area, is thirty miles from north to south and ten miles from east to west. The total area of the country is 240 square miles.

Ancient Bahrain jewelry served many of the same purposes as the previous two cultures we have touched on. Including but not limited to ::: rites of passage, status symbols, aesthetic adornment and death.  Bahrain is renowned for its natural pearls and gold, both of which are arguably the finest quality in the world.  Our focus today is on Bahrain’s pearling history.

Bahrain (the Arabian Gulf’s magical Island Kingdom and a true Garden of Eden) is the world’s premier location of Natural Pearls and is steeped in pearling history. Virtually every ancient author when describing the islands of Bahrain mentions the fine pearls found in its waters. Writing in the first century AD Pliny (AD 23-AD 79) states that the pearl fisheries of Tylos (the classical name for Bahrain) were well known in his time, which in itself is remarkable, but diminishes into insignificance when one understands that the fisheries were known and revered when Bahrain was the seat of ancient Dilmun, (Tilmun, Tilvun, Telmun, Tilman) (late fourth millennium to 800 BC) indeed throughout known history the fisheries have been regarded as the most famous and most valuable in the world. Two pearls on display in the Bahrain National Museum lay testimony to the longevity of Bahrain’s illustrious pearling endeavors; both pearls that are still attached to fragments of shell, were excavated at Saar (to the west of the Capital Manama) and dated to the Early Dilmun period 2000-1800BC giving pearling in Bahrain a staggering 4,000 year history.

Bahrain’s pearls were and remain to this day internationally famous for their brilliance, purity and beauty. Pearls were classified according to size, shape, colour and lustre. It is thought that the purity and beauty of the finest Bahraini pearls are due to the oyster beds being located near underwater sweet water springs. The most excellent pearl (Jiwan) used very accurate scales and weights and the pearls’ values were recorded in a special log-book.

'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 3

'MORE YOU KNOW' MONDAY ::: VOL. 3

Ancient Egypt (there is so. so. much. body adornment history in Egypt and condensing was tricky soooo…get those eyeballs ready to do a chunk of reading then feast on some gorgeous photos!)

Except for the slaves, all ancient Egyptians wore heavy, brightly colored jewelry and it was highly valued. Not only did jewelry reflect the wealth and social status of its wearer, it was thought to help ward off evil spirits, both here and in the afterlife.

Men, women, and children routinely adorned themselves with the best jewelry they could afford in an assortment of styles. An abundance of jewelry indicated that the gods were happy with the wearer and was thus blessing him or her.

The dead were entombed with their own jewelry as well as items belonging to family members, which helped ensure their success in the afterlife. Most ancient Eqyptians wore collar pieces which ranged from extravagant to simple, depending on the status of the wearer, and wealthier Egyptians would often have their most elaborate collar pieces entombed with them.

Except for the pharaoh's jewelry, less emphasis was placed on the type of metal used in the jewelry than it was on the type(s) of stone(s) that adorned it. Some stones and colors used in ancient Egyptian jewelry were thought to have special significance to the wearer and were therefore more popular. Certain colors were thought to provide health benefits, which accounts for the prodigious use of color in ancient Egyptian jewelry.

Certain items of jewelry, such as the scarab, carried religious significance to the ancient Egyptians. The scarab represented rebirth, so it was essential to have one or more scarabs adorning the deceased in order to ensure reincarnation to the next level. The owner's name was inscribed on the stone so that his spirit would know it was his.

Although children under 6 years old usually didn't wear clothing, they wore jewelry. The amount and quality of their ancient Egyptian jewelry depended on their parents' status, but all children wore jewelry unless they were slaves.

Wealthier classes used primarily gold and some copper for their  jewelry, while lower classes used mainly copper. Silver was scarce to unknown in ancient Egypt since there were no silver mines at hand. By combining various elements with gold, jewelers created other colors such as rose, grey, and reddish brown. The addition of tin to copper yielded bronze, which was both harder and much more attractive than tin.

These wealthier Egyptians made abundant use of precious and semi-precious stones, with lapis lazuli being their favorite. Its deep blue hue denotes honor, royalty, wisdom, and truth; King Tutankhamen's tomb was liberally inlaid with lapis lazuli.

Polychrome glass was used for colorful jewelry and beads, as well as for pottery, in vivid hues of green, red, yellow, and blue. Other gemstones used in ancient Egyptian jewelry included:

• Emeralds, which were for immortality and fertility

• Malachite, which promoted healing

• Garnet, which symbolized the extremes of anger and fire, and victory and life

• Turquoise, which symbolized life and happiness

• Carnelian, which was believed to purify the blood, symbolized stability and protection

• Obsidian, which symbolized death

• Amethyst, which denoted royalty

'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 2

'MORE YOU KNOW' MONDAY ::: VOL. 2

The earliest finding of jewelry was dated around 25,000 years ago. It was a simple necklace made of fish bones found in a cave in Monaco. We can only speculate who made it and why. Maybe it was a gift to a new mother or belonged to the village witch doctor. We will never know the exact reason for the making of the gift but know humans have been creating and wearing adornments for a long frickin’ time.

Jewelry was worn as amulets to protect against bad luck and illness. We still hear the tales and adventures of people long ago who somehow found luck and fortune (or demise…lookin’ at you, Lord of the Rings) because of gemstones and jewelry. From these myths evolves jewelry made into symbols thought to give the wearer control over fertility, wealth and love. Jewelry was worn for its magical properties.

Iran and the Mediterranean

Some of the earlier forms of jewelry can be traced to the civilizations that bloomed in the Mediterranean and what is now called Iran around 3,000 to 400 BC. These were usually simple stone amulets and seals. Many of these amulets and seals carried spiritual meanings, stars, and floral designs.  Jewelry was offered to the gods and was used to dress up statues. The Royal Tombs in ancient Sumner, dating back to 3000 BC, delivered to us the greatest collection of all times. There they found mummies encrusted with every imaginable type of jewelry worn, headdresses, necklaces, earrings, rings, crowns, and pins. 

Below are photos of the adornments found in Queen Pu-abi's tomb.  Gold, lapis, carnelian and agates were used to create these works of art. Pu-abi’s full regalia weighed 14 lbs!

Thanks for reading this far! I hope you are all enjoying some body adornment history.

Queen Pu-abi's full regalia

'More You Know' Mondays ::: vol. 1

A QUICK OVERVIEW ::: THE HISTORY OF BODY ADORNMENTS

I have always been so intrigued and inspired by body adornments of all kinds. My ears were pierced as a babe, I absolutely loved playing around with my moms eccentric jewelry, I convinced her to take me to get my belly button pierced as soon as I hit 16 and I could not wait to turn 18 to get my first tattoo. It's been a lifelong love and ever evolving.

It's been said that it is probable that prehistoric humans thought of decorating the body before they thought of making anything that could suggest clothing. Before precious metals were discovered, people who lived along the seashore decorated themselves with a great variety of shells, fishbones, fish teeth, and coloured pebbles. People who lived inland used as ornaments materials from the animals they had killed for food: reindeer antlers, mammoth tusks, and all kinds of animal bones. After they had been transformed from their natural state into various elaborate forms, these materials, together with animal skins and bird feathers, provided sufficient decoration.

This era was followed by one that saw a transition from a nomadic life to a settled social order and the subsequent birth of the most ancient civilizations. Most peoples settled along the banks of large rivers, which facilitated the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Indirectly, this also led to the discovery of virginal alluvial deposits of minerals, first among which were gold and precious stones.

Over the years the limited jewelry forms of prehistoric times multiplied until they included ornaments for every part of the body. For the head there were crowns, diadems, tiaras, hairpins, combs, earrings, nose rings, lip rings, and earplugs. For the neck and torso there were necklaces, fibulae (the ancient safety pin), brooches, pectorals (breastplates), stomachers, belts, and watch fobs. For the arms and hands armlets, bracelets, and rings were fashioned. For the thighs, legs, and feet craftsmen designed thigh bracelets, ankle bracelets, toe rings, and shoe buckles.

There is a loooooong, rich history and I will dive into individual cultures/eras in the 'More You Know' Vol. 2! I leave you with this stunning portrait of the gorgeous, 106 year old Filipina tattoo artist, Apo Whang-od.