A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

A Brief History in Religious Jewelry

Jewelry is really a broad term that describes any ornamental adornment on the body. It includes toe rings to tiaras and everything in between. Jewelry has been used in each culture throughout history and in a lot of various ways. While in our culture today jewelry serves mostly an aesthetic purpose, jewelry can serve other functions also. Jewelry is employed to represent social or official rank, age, marital status, and tribal affinity. Additionally, jewelry serves as emblems of religious, social, and political affiliation. In fact, one of the extremely first uses of jewelry was to show religious affiliation. The following are the principal cultures that began the use of religious jewelry along with the common symbols and uses of their jewelry.

Egyptian Religious Jewelry

Religious jewelry in Ancient Egypt was quite symbolic. Some typical symbols in Ancient Egyptian religious jewelry consist of the scarab (beetle), lotus, serpent, falcon, and also the eye. The scarab is a symbol for great luck and resurrection while the "Eye of the Horus" represents healing. A common symbol of the time referred to as the "Ankh" is meant to represent eternal life. Religious jewelry was extravagant, consisting of gold and semi-precious stones and had been worn by men and women alike. When the Roman Era arrived, Egyptian religious jewelry was made of cheaper supplies and more Christian symbols were used. When Islam arrived in Egypt men were forbidden to wear gold jewelry. At this time silver jewelry became a lot more well-known in religious jewelry in Egypt. Religious jewelry is still widely employed in Egypt, but doesn't have the exact same extravagance as the Ancient Egyptian religious jewelry.

Roman Christianity and Religious Jewelry

Art and architecture thrived when St. Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire. At this time various common symbols were developed which are still utilized in Christian art and jewelry. These symbols consist of the cross, the rosary, and the Christian fish charm. The cross is really a symbol of God's love and a reminder of Christ's suffering. Rosary beads are prayer beads that began inside the Roman Christian world but are now employed predominately by the Catholic Church (officially accepted by the Catholic Church during the rosary approbation in 1520). Rosary beads are also used inside 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 symbol attracted less attention to the persecuted Christians. The Christian charm remains quite popular today.

Native American Jewelry

Native American religious jewelry was a symbol for nature, played a role in religious ceremonies, and represented status. Natural supplies were used in their jewelry such as feathers along with minerals such as turquoise and metals like silver. These natural supplies had been a reminder of the Earth around them. Throughout healing ceremonies and harvest rituals, the people would take care to wear specific kinds of religious jewelry that had been the right color, made of the proper materials, and representing the right symbol for that event. The jewelry which is worn by an individual is representative of the various stages of life an individual has entered into. In numerous tribes adolescents are initiated into adulthood when they obtain the spiritual totem consisting of shells, beads, or symbols from nature. Native American religious jewelry was also given to ladies after there 1st menses and to newly married couples. Religious jewelry has played a considerable role in Native American culture.

Simply because our culture right now uses jewelry mostly for decorative 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 employed for.

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