The Romance of Jewelry
by:
Carrie Johnson
"Well," you may ask, "isn't jewelry
romantic by it's very nature?"
To some extent this is true, but we wear
jewelry for any number of reasons that are not
romantic... to look sophisticated, to look
professional, to impress our friends and
neighbors.
So what about the romance of jewelry?
In this case I'm talking about romance in a
broader sense than simply relationships.
Something more like this definition from
the dictionary:
"A quality or feeling of mystery,
excitement, and remoteness from everyday life"
That wonderful fission, that bit of a chill
that you get from something that is just,
well, more than day to day life.
Romantic jewelry is that jewelry that makes
you feel special, different, like a princess
or a prince. That jewelry that takes you out
of your normal hum drum life each time you put
it on. The little something extra that comes
of wearing something truly special.
Perhaps that is why gold is such a popular
metal for jewelry. I love silver and platinum
and there are other metals (titanium comes to
mind) that make great jewelry, but there is
nothing like the romance of gold. To wear gold
is to wear the jewelry of kings and queens. In
ancient Egypt only the pharaohs and those
especially favored by the pharaohs were
permitted to wear gold. This feeling of being
special and above the fray has continued to
the modern day. If you want to feel like
royalty (or if you want to give a gift that
says you think of your beloved as a king or
queen), gold is the answer.
Other jewels that inspire feelings of
romance are pearls, emeralds and rubies...
and, of course, for many people, diamonds.
Somehow though diamonds don't seem to have
the same warmth and romance as the other
stones. Actually diamonds were not
historically valued as highly was we do today.
Much of the romance that has been generated
around diamonds is do to de Beers in the early
part of the 20th century instituting a
brilliant and very effective advertising
campaign... so I will leave diamonds for
another day.
On the other hand pearls... Pearls feel
wonderful against your skin. They are sensuous
and mysterious. To look deeply into a fine
pearl is to look into eternity. There is also
something intriguing about a pearl, knowing
that is came not from the cold hard ground,
but from an industrious mollusk.
Pearls have been prized in all time periods
and all cultures. Historically baroque pearls
(large irregularly shaped pearls) were used to
make wonderful and fantastic jewelry by
embellishing them with gold an gems.
Frequently these took the shape of Neptune or
other greek gods, sirens, beautiful women and
animals. The Canning Jewel in the Victoria and
Albert museum is a famous and elaborate use of
a baroque as the base for a handsome merman.
Black pearls, particularly Tahitian black
pearls have become very popular in recent
years. They come in a range of colors from
spectacular purples and greens, through pinks
to sophisticated browns. All are lovely and
the range of colors gives them a great deal of
flexibility in choosing just the right pearl
for your outfit and mood. The most beautiful
black pearl necklace I've seen was from
Morrison's a small manufacturing jeweler in
Berkeley. The pearls were arranged in a
rainbow strung together so that each color
melted into the one next to it -- stunning.
And of course what could be more romantic than
pearls from Tahiti?
(By the way, if you wear pearls, do wear
them against your skin, it is good for them,
but be sure that you do not wear any perfume,
scent or lotion, at least not where it might
contact your pearls.)
Emeralds and rubies are traditionally the
emperor and empress of gems. Perhaps it is
their vibrant colors that inspired our
ancestors. Certainly that vivid blood red and
cool serpent green are hard to ignore. Even
today emeralds and rubies of equal size and
quality are more expensive than equivalent
diamonds.
In Victorian times colored gems were used
to spell out love messages. Sometimes this
made for interesting and not necessarily
attractive settings; but it is very romantic.
For instance a piece of jewelry might have
these gems in order:
LOVE: Lapis, Opal, Vermeil and Emerald.
REGARD: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst,
Ruby and Diamond.
The shape of jewelry too can harbor a
romantic message. Hearts and clasped hands,
hands holding a heart (Claddagh) and cupids
are self explanatory, but some shapes are a
bit more subtle.
For many cultures, including the Romans and
the Victorians, snakes were a symbol of
enduring love. A snake biting it's own tail so
as to make a circle is a particularly potent
symbol of everlasting love. Prince Albert gave
Queen Victoria a snake engagement ring -- the
beginning of a long and celebrated marriage.
Interestingly lizards and frogs were (and
perhaps still are) also symbols of wedded
happiness. Perhaps this explains the
continuing popularity of jewelry depicting
this wiggly creatures.
Jewelry in the shape of flowers may also be
symbolic. To quote Ophelia "There's rosemary,
that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember:
and there is pansies. That’s for thoughts."
Other flowers commonly found in jewelry are
daisies for innocence, roses for the growth
and continuation of love and bouquets
expressing the commingling and compatibility
of marriage. When you are considering the
perfect gift from that next anniversary,
rather than the common "anniversary ring" how
about a more romantic bouquet pendant?
So the next time you are rooting through
your jewel box before that special tryst or
looking for the perfect gift for the perfect
lover, consider the symbolic romance of
jewelry and gems.
