Silver Jewelry Design Ideas
Silver Jewelry Design Ideas
From the earliest times Gold was sought after for its shiny golden color that many people believed to have spiritual or magical powers. By 1600 BC the East Coast of the Mediterranean had become a center of innovation in goldsmithing. Here merchants from Turkey, Mesopotamia and Egypt came together. Jewelry produced in this area combined skills and fashions of diverse origins. However, by 1500 BC Minoans dominated trade in the Mediterranean, especially gold and silver. They obtained gold from Iberia (Spain) and sold it to the Near East. They also exported gold jewelry worldwide. Gold work from as early as 2400 BC has been found in Minoan graves. The Myceneans of the Greek mainland adopted Minoan gold techniques and eventually conquered the Minoans.
From about 1000 BC, the seafaring Phoenicians spread new styles throughout the ancient world. Their motifs were derived from Egyptian patterns but were interpreted differently and used a great deal of granulation. Around 800BC the Etruscans, from Italy, became a powerful maritime commercial power in the Mediterranean. Like the Greeks, they learned goldsmithing from the Phoenicians. The Etruscans colonized Iberia for its Gold and became famous for their filigree and granulation work in which they depicted whole scenes in granulation instead of just geometric patterns. The Etruscans introduced coinage to early Romans and gave them their religion. Eventually they were absorbed by Rome.
By Hellenistic and Roman times refining technology allowed jewelers to use almost pure gold. Previously, it had been used in its natural form which contained up to 40% silver. Hellenistic and Roman gold rarely drops below 18 carat. Roman coins were initially almost pure gold but were later debased.
In early Rome, jewelry was a luxury under official disapproval but when Rome annexed much of the Hellenistic world the old austerity quickly vanished. Romans were the first to use niello, a black sulfide, and they initiated a new technique of cutting out patterns with chisels to create a lacelike pattern (opus interrasile). In 214BC the Romans conquered Iberia in search of gold. To mine it, they dug tunnels through mountains until they collapsed and diverted rivers to wash away the debris. In this manner they produced about 13,000 pounds of the metal a year. However, they spent all the gold on luxury items and were bankrupt by AD 300.
Nina Cooper has 25 years of experience in the jewelry industry. Her company, NinaDesigns, creates and markets exclusive Sterling Silver Charms, Pendants and Jewelry Making Supplies. Her mission is to inspire jewelry designers around the world. Visit her Website for FREE How To Videos and FREE Design Ideas. Read more about Ancient Gold!
Have any good ideas for a title?
I need to design t-shirts about sterling silver jewelry and I need a catchy phrase involving jewelry written on them. I’m thinking something humorous and witty would work. Any suggestions would be fantastic!
Slip into something silvery.
Always a silver lining here.
Diamonds will do, but sterling silver is really a girl’s best friend.
The silver is simply sterling.
Say it with sterling silver
Shine on sterling silver jewels
Katrina Barker Jewellery Designer
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