Bizarre Jewelry Through the Ages
Have you ever wondered about jewelry trends from historical times? We decided to see what may have been in fashion before modern day. And, boy, did we find some out of the ordinary fashions! Read along for a view into the past!
- Mourning Jewelry: We’ve covered this in a previous blog, but it deserves a mention here as well. In Victorian times, it became a trend inspired by Queen Victoria mourning her husband, Prince Albert. The wealthy followed her lead with lockets, bracelets, necklaces and rings to memorialize their loved ones. Materials included jet, onyx, pearls, dark tortoise shell, black enamel, bog oak, vulcanite, hair and gutta percha (natural rubber made from the Southeast Asian tree). Many of the materials had a specific meaning, for example, jet symbolized grief and mourning due to its deep black color while bog oak represented strength and endurance. Inclusion of hair and sometimes teeth into jewelry was very popular as it was believed to contain a bit of the essence of the person.
- Living Insect Jewelry: Although the wearing of living insects has been around for centuries, for example, the Egyptians wore scarab beetles into battle as they were believed to have supernatural powers of protection, it became fashionable in the 1980s. The Mexican maquech beetle, which is large, docile and wingless, began to be decorated with gold and semi-precious gems and attached to a decorative safety pin by a chair leash. It is said that Mayan women wore maqueches over their hearts to attract and sustain loving relationships based on a story of a Mayan princess who was not permitted to marry a prince whom she loved. She chose to die instead and was transformed into a maquech by a healer with magical powers so that she could spend the rest of her life living as a beautiful brooch on the chest of her lover close to his heart.
- Poison Ring: Yes, these are more than just spy movie intrigues! The concept has been around from ancient times, but became extremely popular in the Middle Ages when political intrigues and poisonings were more common. It was a discreet method of carrying poison, hidden in a small container under a gemstone in a ring. Some choose to carry an antidote instead of poison! The poison could also be used to commit suicide to avoid capture or torture.
While we here at Bridgewaters are not sure we would like to wear any of these bizarre pieces of jewelry, it is always interesting to learn about trends throughout history. What current trends do you think future generations will view as bizarre?