Medieval Jewelry

European medieval jewelry is not confined just to the normal Celtic designs which usually spring to mind. Gold and silver were commonly used metals and precious stones were sourced from as far away as India. In fact, a wealth of medieval designs and materials remain extant in artefacts displayed in museums across Europe and America. Throughout post fifteenth century jewelry design and right up to this day, Gothic, Nordic, Celtic and Norman motifs can be readily identified. Pagan influences were readily mingled with Christian symbolism, producing a vast range of polemic designs which are much copied in our own times. The manufacture of medieval jewelry may seem crude compared with later refinements and innovations, but the iconography rings a bell with a vast chunk of the modern day populace in Europe and America.

Commonplace Medieval Design

The Middle Ages are also frequently referred to as the Dark Ages and so they must have been for much of the European populace. However, for the Church and for the wealthy, these times were a treasure-trove of knowledge, study and innovative decoration. The monasteries may have been, in the main, the preserve of the intelligentsia, but for the upper class there was no end of wealth and therefore no limit to the supply of new styles in jewelry, as well as other forms of adornment for the person and the home.

Up-market Medieval homes contained little furniture so architectural style was the biggest contributor to the overall effect desired by the proprietors. Often, jewelry design would take its lead from architectural forms and skilled jewelers knew how to pander to the pretensions of those able to afford artefacts formed from precious stones and metals. Such goldsmiths were no mugs when it came to knowing the exact materials they wanted for certain pieces and certain clients. It has been discovered in recent times that British goldsmiths traded, via intermediaries, with suppliers as far away as Jerusalem.

Jewelry Design and Designers in the Middle Ages

The middle-ages were times when precious metals and stones were used to embellish warring paraphernalia such as scabbards, sword-handles, armour and military garments. But that’s not definitive; the possession of rare materials by anyone would afford them some standing within their communities and, of course, the display of these as a personal adornment, produced by obviously skilled craftsmen, only added to the the glamour of the bearer.

Thus, the guardians of significant designs, passed down over generations, may not have been particularly well regarded or well paid, but they could fairly much guarantee themselves a regular income by dint of their conservative designs and technical know-how.

Designs were often sculptural in form and frequently worn somewhat like a brooch which signified the identity of the bearer as a member of an ancient or noble house. Hares, hounds, seahorses, unicorns and gryphons were frequently employed motifs.

At certain times during this long period of history you would have as likely found a man as a woman proudly displaying a necklace. These neck accoutrements varied at different periods from being almost a choker to an altogether more pontifical affair reaching down over the stomach. Necklaces could present a simple pendant or equally display an intricate melange of pagan figures and Christian representations.

More often than not, medieval jewelry was either hammered (by blacksmiths, frequently) or cast. Of course, precious stones also played their part, but the bulk of jewelry produced consisted of precious and semi-precious metals alone. As far as jewelry production was concerned, both men and women practised it, although casting and hammering was generally left as a male preserve. Any significant blacksmithing was always left to the men.

Punched metal objects were much sought after. With the addition of wires and tiny spheres making for even more raised patterns and therefore a high relief, the design possibilities were myriad. That said, while pendants and the like could be highly intricate, the basic designs ultimately conformed to accepted standards. Crucifixes became predominant, either for Christian or superstitious reasons, with the actual form of the cross normally having equally extended arms which looked like a tilted ‘x’, instead of the more common day preference for an elongated lower strut.

Medieval Designs Today

Medieval motifs are much favored by jewelry designers today. Crosses and chimera-like forms are in the ascendancy. Interestingly, bead work is a fairly recent cottage industry phenomenon which contemporary men and women are taking up in their droves. And who were the people, apart from the Greeks and Romans, who trail blazed this form of jewelry? The fascinating folk from the Dark Ages. Substantial threads or leather thongs were used to string beads, sometimes just one or two; other times many beads were used to produce an intricate pattern. The majority of the beads were amber, bone, wood, glass, clay or millefiori, but precious or semi-precious stones were also employed. Pendants or charms were also frequently added to these multi colored bead necklaces and bracelets.

Medieval jewelry designs are a rich source of inspiration for contemporary jewelry designers, be they commercial or simply making their own bead artefacts at home.

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