Gold jewelry, though a mass-marketed product today, occupies a rich history that dates back to the beginning of civilization. One thing is sure though, the ancient Celts loved jewelry and their craftsmanship was nowhere near barbaric. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the mining and production of gold halted for nearly 1000 years until the Spanish discovered America in 1492. hey produced abstract styles and worked in enamels and inlaid stones.
In ancient Greece, beads shaped as natural forms like shells, flowers and beetles were manufactured on a large scale. Greek jewelry was characterized by its great variety of forms and fine workmanship. This is also the period of the penannular, or nearly circular, brooches of Ireland and Scotland. Beautiful and delicate necklaces and earrings were found in burial sites The Heracles-knot, developed in Greece, remained a popular motif into Roman times in Northern Greece.
Cortes invaded Mexico and seized its gold treasures in an effort to revive Spain's economy in 1519. Attempts were made by historians to give light to this mystery and though the given meanings are not vouched for, it may be all right to entertain these interpretations whilst we wait for the accurate ones to be discovered.In 1531, Pizarro invaded Peru and captured the Incas' ruler Atahualpa, immediately melting down the Inca's golden artifacts to ship back to Spain.
They also used coloured stones, glass and enamel. Colorful jewelry was an important characteristic of the Migration period 4th to 8th centuries AD which followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. Carved cameos of Indian Sardonyx (a striped brown pink and cream agate stone) along with filigree gold work were widely made. Beads were made by joining two flat pieces of gold and filling them with sand.
Earlier on, the Incas What’s more interesting is the fact that these designs are meaningful and yes, mysterious, which added more to its appeal. who considered gold the sweat of the sun conquered the Chimu Empire and made the Chimu goldsmiths cover every inch of Mediterranean goldsmiths continued to produce refined jewelry but the jewelry of the European tribes dominated the period The Temple of the Sun's walls in gold.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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