The Byzantine civilization was huge and the Empire developed very quickly. It lasted several centuries until the Middle Ages, about eleven centuries. At its peak, the Empire was the hub of trade in gold and precious fabrics. Traders also exported other raw materials. What also made it famous was the geographical position of the capital Constantinople. It was built on the ruins of the ancient city of Byzantium.
Byzantine jewelry: women's jewelry
During the time of the Byzantine Empire, most of the precious objects or jewelry had a religious character. Apart from the religious character of Byzantine jewelry, others are simply ethnic jewelry. These are jewels that the Byzantines wore to show their belonging to a given ethnic group. They thus affirm their identity. The traditional Byzantine jewelry is composed of gold earrings.
These are very popular women's jewelry. To give them more style, some of these jewels have been covered with precious stones mounted as a pendant. Crescent moon earrings are very common in the Byzantine tradition. In fact, both shapes, circle and crescent moon, are very common in Byzantine jewelry.
Byzantine jewelry: materials and techniques.
The Byzantine Empire was a market of all raw materials. A situation which the Byzantine goldsmiths knew how to take advantage of. Most of them made their jewelry with precious stones or gold. However, the most common method of making jewelry was the use of gold. The goldsmiths had developed their own style of design from the birth of the Empire. Very original, this style is composed of a variety of techniques for working gold and silver.
The influence of Byzantine jewels on modern jewelry
Byzantine jewelry originated in ancient Rome. The decline of the Eastern Roman Empire did not prevent this culture from continuing to flourish through the ages. Modern jewelers draw inspiration from Byzantine art to make jewelry that is both original and endowed with remarkable simplicity. This style is increasingly observed in the design of certain lines of jewelry by designers who are very inspired by the originality of the techniques used, including costume jewelry.