NECKLACES, HISTORY IN A JEWEL

Necklaces are among the jewels that have made the history of goldsmithing. Historians still debate when this extraordinary jewel appeared and the answer, despite years of studies, is still not clear. Some historical evidence traces the origin of the necklaces back to the Neolithic, when primitive men used to embellish their clothes made of fur with woven necklaces and shells. But it is only in the Bronze Age (when man learned the art of metalworking) that we can talk about actual necklaces. At the time they were thin gold threads that were roughly worked and embellished with precious stones.

The necklaces of the ancient Egyptians

In the mid-nineteenth century, with the birth of modern archaeology, scholars drew a clear picture of Egyptian civilisation. Among the most sensational discoveries of archaeologists there are certainly the tombs of the Pharaohs and the splendid funerary objects. Thanks to careful study lasting years, historians have reconstructed the events of the civilization that overlooked the Nile River and revealed some interesting details. The fashion of wearing precious necklaces, in fact, seems to have been launched by the Pharaoh's subjects. Large necklaces of gold and precious stones (some of which have survived intact to this day) which were worn on solemnities and only (for obvious reasons related to cost) by the Pharaoh himself, by the priestly caste and by the richest and most prominent subjects

The Romans and Greeks made it a status symbol.

It was among the Romans and Greeks that the series had a wider diffusion. This type of jewel, in fact, was no longer used only during ceremonial occasions but also in everyday life. The splendid examples of necklaces that have come down to us (especially those that emerged from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum) testify to the mastery of workmanship achieved by Roman artisans.

The journey from the Middle Ages to the present day.

If the subjects of the Byzantine Empire preferred large crosses or precious coins as pendants, it was only at the beginning of the Renaissance that the fashion for necklaces returned to vogue after the phase of medieval decline. In fact, during the "dark ages" necklaces were not widespread among the population. Renaissance sovereigns, on the other hand, made a great display of necklaces. The portraits of the English and French monarchs who showed off large (and expensive) necklaces were very famous.

Fashion, then, over the centuries has evolved to reach current standards. Today necklaces are worn almost exclusively by women, unlike past centuries, when this type of jewel was also widespread among men.

The Blossom Gioielli collection

The necklaces and pendants by Blossom Gioielli are real explosions of colour. Thanks to the beauty of natural flowers and the mastery of workmanship, we have managed to reproduce real small masterpieces that will make you unique on every occasion.