A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

Jewelry is a broad term that describes any ornamental embellishment on the body. It includes toe rings to tiaras and all in between. Jewelry has been used in every culture throughout history and in many distinct ways. While in our culture today jewelry serves mostly an aesthetic purpose, jewelry can serve other functions as well. Jewelry is used to recount collective or legal rank, age, marital status, and tribal affinity. In addition, jewelry serves as emblems of religious, social, and political affiliation. In fact, one of the very first uses of jewelry was to show religious affiliation. The following are the main cultures that began the use of religious jewelry and the coarse symbols and uses of their jewelry.

Egyptian Religious Jewelry

Religious Jewelry

Religious jewelry in antique Egypt was very symbolic. Some coarse symbols in antique Egyptian religious jewelry consist of the scarab (beetle), lotus, serpent, falcon, and the eye. The scarab is a stamp for good luck and resurrection while the "Eye of the Horus" represents healing. A coarse stamp of the time called the "Ankh" is meant to recount eternal life. Religious jewelry was extravagant, consisting of gold and semi-precious stones and were worn by men and women alike. When the Roman Era arrived, Egyptian religious jewelry was made of cheaper materials and more Christian symbols were used. When Islam arrived in Egypt men were forbidden to wear gold jewelry. At this time silver jewelry became more popular in religious jewelry in Egypt. Religious jewelry is still widely used in Egypt, but does not have the same extravagance as the antique Egyptian religious jewelry.

A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

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Roman Christianity and Religious Jewelry

Art and architecture thrived when St. Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire. At this time some popular symbols were created that are still used in Christian art and jewelry. These symbols consist of the cross, the rosary, and the Christian fish charm. The cross is a stamp of God's love and a reminder of Christ's suffering. Rosary beads are prayer beads that began in the Roman Christian world but are now used predominately by the Catholic Church (officially standard by the Catholic Church while the rosary approbation in 1520). Rosary beads are also used in the Islam and Buddhist faith. The Christian fish charm came about when early Christians would make an acronym with the Greek word for fish, "ichthys," Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior). This stamp attracted less concentration to the persecuted Christians. The Christian charm remains very popular today.

Native American Jewelry

Native American religious jewelry was a stamp for nature, played a role in religious ceremonies, and represented status. Natural materials were used in their jewelry along with feathers along with minerals such as turquoise and metals like silver. These natural materials were a reminder of the Earth colse to them. while curative ceremonies and harvest rituals, the citizen would take care to wear specific kinds of religious jewelry that were the right color, made of the right materials, and representing the right stamp for that event. The jewelry that is worn by a person is representative of the distinct stages of life an private has entered into. In some tribes adolescents are initiated into adulthood when they receive the spiritual totem consisting of shells, beads, or symbols from nature. Native American religious jewelry was also given to women after there first menses and to newly married couples. Religious jewelry has played a significant role in Native American culture.

Because our culture today uses jewelry mostly for ornamental purposes we often forget the roots of jewelry and how, to some cultures, it can have a deeper spiritual meaning. Recognizing the importance of this religious jewelry in other cultures allows us to see the greater symbolic uses that jewelry can be used for.

A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

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