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CURIOSITIES
ACCESSORIES
FASHION
The definition of “Fashion Accessories” is: any decorative piece that complements a person's clothing/clothing.
They can be jewelry, jewelry, gloves, bags, hats, belts, scarves...
They are pieces that complement with a detail, add color, style and class to the basic attire and can even be used as external visual symbols of cultural or religious affiliation.
Before telling the story of jewelry, it is worth noting that these accessories have been present in human lives since ancient times. To manually produce the accessories, humans used the resources they had at the time, such as stones, wood, pearls, shells or animal teeth. From there, body adornments were made for different purposes.
Since ancient times, jewelry has been used to represent status, protect and empower. Accessories play a very important role in the history of humanity and through them, communities represented their beliefs, protected themselves, confirmed the social role of each person and, of course, highlighted the beauty, fashion and tradition of each people.
The first accessories recorded in history appeared during the prehistoric period. Made from animal teeth, seeds, bones and stones, the jewels of that time were used as representations of the mysticism of each community, such as, for example, protective amulets.
Let's get to know a little more about the fascinating history of accessories?
Indigenous people located in the region of Colombia
More than 4 thousand years before Christ, indigenous tribes located in the region of present-day Colombia were one of the pioneers in the handling of gold. In addition to beautiful sculptures, the Indians created exuberant body adornments, especially for the chiefs.
They believed that gold was a mystical material and due to its resemblance to the sun, it was believed that through gold it was possible to communicate with the Sun God. Nowadays, in Bogotá there is the Gold Museum, which preserves these remaining pieces, discovered after the invaders arrived in the country.
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Caption: Gold Museum in Bogotá
Credits: LIVIA & GABRIEL LORENZI/DICAS DA COLOMBIA
Ancient Egypt
With noble materials such as gold, copper and precious stones, the Egyptians were specialists and famous for creating stunning jewelry, being the first people, known until then, to use colored glass in their adornments.
Their accessories were symbols of power, social status and religion, having strict rules for their creation.
This is because the Egyptians believed that jewelry had the power to protect them from harm, ensure good health and offer luck, and depending on the model and materials used, they were associated with supernatural powers and deities.
The Egyptians were great influencers of accessories in the history of many other peoples.
Caption: Jewels in the street market
Credits: Alexandru-Adrian Atanasiu / EyeEm/GettyImages
Greece, Rome and Celts
These three great cultures were heavily influenced by the Egyptians when it comes to jewelry production.
The Greeks used gold a lot and used geometric shapes as a base to represent mythological scenes in their earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Accessories in Roman history, initially, derived a lot from Greek culture, however, using less noble materials, as gold was used to finance wars.
The Celts, on the other hand, also used their jewelry as weapons and had different techniques for the production of their accessories, such as casting raw materials, carving, enameling and granulation.
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Caption: Gold Bracelet with Carnelian
Credits: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain
African tribes
Africa also has a strong relationship with accessories, vibrant colors and voluminous pieces.
African jewelry was (and is) a symbol of power, mysticism, protection and has even been used as money in some cultures.
Among the most famous accessories is the Malian beaded necklace. Made manually, its artisanal production guarantees exclusivity to each piece, being a traditional jewelry given to brides on their wedding day.
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Caption: African bead necklace
Credits: lifehouseimage / IStockPhoto
Middle Ages
Crowns, crucifixes and shrines were symbols of class division, social symbolism and religion.
They could also be functional, like the rings engraved with monograms, used to authenticate documents used by the bourgeoisie.
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Legend: Crown-reliquary said of Saint Louis or Crown of Liège
Credits: Louvre Museum, Paris, France / Public Domain
Renaissance period
Until that period, the one who had the greatest power of influence in jewelry was the Church. In the Renaissance, everything changed: the bourgeoisie began to dictate the rules, creating a period of effervescence for jewelry, in which goldsmiths came to be seen as artists and the pieces developed had a more refined aesthetic. Thus, jewelry became part of people's style.
In addition, another factor that contributed to the development of jewelery was the exploitation of precious metals in colonized countries.
Caption: Goldsmith
Credits: Renovation Journal
torque paste
Caption: Ancient Torque Necklace
Credits: British Museum
The torque necklace is the one that resembles an open ring and used to be made of precious metals.
It was a kind of necklace made of twisted metal and decorated with precious stones. Many peoples—Scythians, Sarmatians, Romans, Slavs, Scandinavians, and Thracians—wore similar accessories.
Often, this type of necklace was given as a decoration and as a symbol of social status. It was worn by both men and women and due to its rigid structure, it was not easy to take it off.
Torques cut into pieces, found by archaeologists, prove that these necklaces were sometimes used as money.
anklet
In the old days, anklets were joined by a chain from one leg to the other! Anklets were worn by both Egyptians and Sumerians, but gained popularity especially among the inhabitants of India. In ancient Southeast Asia, anklets were worn on both legs and held together by a chain. In this way, girls learned to take short steps, which was considered a sign of femininity.
Origin of earrings
Records show that the first function of earrings was to scare away evil spirits. The oldest earring found and documented was worn by one man, a Sumerian king who ruled the city-state of Ur (in present-day Iraq). In the Ancient Age, a pierced ear was a symbol of slavery, and earrings were worn by both women and men.
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Caption: Old Earring
Credits: Pinterest
Later, earrings came to be considered a feminine accessory, but sailors also wore them as a sort of badge, a symbol that they managed to sail around the world or cross the Equator.
But what about pirates?
As for the pirates, it is not known for sure what they looked like.
Supposedly, the earrings and bandanas were a figment of the imagination of Howard Pyle, a 19th-century artist drawing pirates for a children's book.
He was inspired by Spanish bandits and peasants and since then, pirates have been seen wearing earrings, bandanas and wide fabric belts.
pearls
For those who don't know, pearls are made by some species of oysters that live in both salt water and fresh water.
The process happens by an oyster's protective instinct, which, when invaded by a grain of sand, surrounds it and ends up creating the pearl.
This process is long, lasting, on average, three years!
Did you imagine that it would take so long for the pearls you like to be made?
And the baroque pearl?
A new and worldwide trend is baroque pearls. Do you know how to differentiate?
Baroque pearls are all pearls without a defined geometric shape. During their cultivation, they did not come out as expected, not reaching 100% sphericity. It's called "perfect imperfection".
They are very stylish and special, right?
Caption: Pearls
Credits: Kitbox Blog
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