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The history of the jewelry
was written in the Ancient Egypt. The fabrication of the
jewelry is certainly one of the oldest arts in the world.
They say that in antiquity some nations used to cover
themselves with shells, precious stones but also with
flowers, not really for the aesthetic part but to take
advantages of the decorative objects` magical powers.
In the
ancient Egypt, some metals were very wanted to be
transformed into jewelry for pharaohs. They were only
wearing gold because it was the most shiny metal and also
most hard to make.
Necklaces, rings,
bracelets, ornaments for pectorals, ear rings, all
speak for the Tutankamon`s epoch, a epoch adorned
with gold and precious stones. |
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The biggest artistic
achievement of the Middle Kingdom ids with no doubts
the one of the jewelry, proving an exceptional
craftsmanship, peerless.
The execution of the
Egyptian jewelry that remained to us shows the
possession of a special technique, a perfectly taste
and facility. |
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The history of the first ring is not known for sure.
Some says that it appeared in the ancient Egypt and
other that in Rome. One thing is for sure: that it
comes from a seal or from a ring with seal. Since
the seal was a sign of power, the one who was
wearing a ring was seen as a person with big
authority. The transforming of the ring from seal
and as a decoration object took place in Egypt. The
rich Egyptian women were wearing golden rings on all
their fingers. The poor ones were wearing rings from
cheaper materials: silver, glass, bronze or clay
covered with a silicium glaze in blue and green.
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The slaves were wearing iron rings. The most
expansive dinner in history, already a part of a legend, is
related to pearls.
In a confrontation between Cleopatra and
Marc Antonius, in which every of them was trying to show
what treasures has, the only offer from Cleopatra was to
break one of the pearls that she was wearing in the ear
rings and to drink it in a glass of wine.
Marc Anthony
refused to drink his glass, recognizing himself defeated. Pliniu estimates the price of the pearl broken by Cleopatra
at the fabulous amount of 60 million serstets or 1,875,000
silver ounces. In our days money it would mean more
than $9 million.
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To wear jewelries in the different parts of the
body, with the purpose of identification of the belonging to
a specific social category, was a practice extremely spread
in antiquity. In the ancient Egypt, the pharaohs and the
regal families were the only one that was allowed to wear
jewelries in belly, because it represented their supreme
position occupied in society.
All the simple people who
broke that rule were killed, excepting the case when their
belly was considered perfect, which gave them the chance to
improve their social situation. Today, the jewelries are
made from semi precious stones, are handmade and very
demanded by tourists.
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