The art of jewelry making in China goes back almost 5000 years ago. Consequent to the evolution of Chinese jewelry the artisans adopted designs with a religious background, which subsequently found use in Buddhist religious ceremonies.
The phoenix and the dragon were the earliest choices among motifs used in Chinese jewelry. You can see these two motifs in extensive use even today. The dragon represented the emperor, nature and the universe. The phoenix represented the empress.
Both men and women used large and complex earrings in silver, bronze and gold. When you talk of Chinese jewelry the most popular material you think of is jade. Jade with its inherent properties of hardness and beauty was supposed to safeguard and impart both grace and dignity to the wearer. Ming jade or nephrite was predominantly used in Chinese jewelry before the 17th century AD. Pearls were also very popular. In colors blue signified royalty and blue enamel work was quite popular during the Ming Dynasty period.
Chinese jewelry symbolizing wealth and nobility was worn by both the sexes and headbands and amulets were very much in vogue. These accompanied the rulers to their graves along with artifacts in jade.
Chinese jewelry is readily available online. Care is taken to ensure the authenticity of antique jewelry. Thus similar materials are selected and the same designs are copied from historic jewelry on jewelry articles that you buy. Today you can pick a set of Chinese earrings and necklaces from the Shou Dynasty. You can order a necklace in jade and pearls or a set of Chinese earrings with jade and carnelian with the Shou symbol carved. You can buy an attractive set of jade dragonhead and pearl earrings with golden hooks on a Tang dynasty jade necklace. Imperial jade earrings in sterling silver gilded with 22-carat gold are most attractive.
Today’s Chinese jewelry brings back the traditions of the use of the dragon motif, of jade and gold and the symbols of various ruling dynasties of China in the days gone by.
Follow www.museumjewellery.com at Twitter - http://twitter.com/museumjewellery
