Gallery of Creative Ideas
Wonderful Collection of Vintage Rhinestone Jewelry
Beads and Jewelry in the British Museum, London
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Introductory Notes
There are about 2 dozen photos on this page. It may take a while to load them all. I wanted to retain as much of the
original detail as possible.
You will see wonderful jewelry and beads from as early as 2000 BC up to about the 1850s.
These pieces are priceless. You may have already seen photos of them in other publications.
Anyone can photograph in the British Museum. So if you get a chance to go there take your camera.
The lighting is very good for photos.
The oldest pieces are the carnelian beads and the lapis strand of rondells. The most recent
pieces are the gold and gemstone necklaces made in Italy in the 1800s.
These photos should bring home the fact that the beads you purchase, especially gemstone beads,
will last mamy lifetimes!
We have another page containing photos of the jewelry collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum.
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British Museum: A Wonderful Place to Spend a Day (or Two) in London Town--and It's Free!
| The new glass-roofed enclosed central court yard shown above is where you can grab a snack,
visit the gift shop,
look into the Reading Room. The glass dome is an engineering triumph. The diamond
pattern reminds me of a kaleidoscope. It was a very gray day but the glass roof must look very different
in bright sunshine. The floor is beautiful white marble. Even though the
courtyard could get very crowded, the architects have found a way to keep the space relatively quiet.
I included the photo of the statue, which is more than life size,
because I liked the horse. I believe the rider is Apollo. (In another exhibit inside there was
a miniature sculpture of a Greek youth on foot leading a prancing horse by grasping the horse's lower jaw tightly
in his hand. The tiny statue was perfect in every detail.) |
Mummy Beads and Funerary Jewelry
| Above are 3 examples of beadwork from Egyptian mummies. The seed bead embroidery left and right
was done only for very exalted or wealthy people. The beads are faience, a type of ceramic.
They did not need to be sturdy since they were laid into the sarcophagi or onto the mummy case
and not actually used. The multi-row bib in the center is also made from faience beads and linen
thread. The beads are shaped like fish. Many Egyptian statues of royal personages show the
individual wearing such a bead collar or other bead neckpieces. The beads in the collar are about
a half inch to an inch long. |
Beads in Necklaces
| Above left, carved and shaped stone beads arranged in a very contemporary way, although
they are dated around 800 BC. Center, lovely turquoise beads from Persia, source of wonderful
colors of turquoise. Right, charming necklaces made from delicate pastel ceramics, agate beads, and
quartz gemstone beads. Note the fetish pieces. |
More Beads in Necklaces
| Above left, these are the oldest lapis beads in the museum, at least 2000 years old.
The bracelet and cloak hook are cast bronze from the same time period.
Center, this is my favorite bead necklace, a charming assemblage of naturalistic fruit and
leaf beads in a pleasing symmetrical layout. The beads are ceramic or faience. I have seen
very similar shapes in clay or glass available today, and recently sold a vintage necklace
styled differently but with the same garden theme.
Right, a group of gemstone bead necklaces, very old, yet very modern. |
Gold Earrings -- Various Eras
| Above left, other civilizations loved dolphins too. These are probably 17th Century.
(Earwires added.)
Center, typical Etruscan gold worked into an impressive pair of earrings with repousse surmount of
a woman's head and gold bead dangles.
Right, representative Italian gold and garnet earrings, early 19th Century. The vase and semicircle
motifs were very popular. Gold chain became a ubiquitous jewelry element in the designs of the
period as the Italian jewelers refined the chain making techniques. |
Famous Beads and Earpieces
| Above, I have admired this jewelry, having seen photos of it in books, and finally got to see the real thing! Impressive,
drop-dead Egyptian set. Note the size of the earpieces, in beaten gold. The dark gray carved
and fluted beads might be obsidian or jet. Some of the gold looks very high karat, 18k or 22k.
These awesome beads were NOT for the mummy case! You also see the importance of carnelian. |
More Delicate Work
| Above left, another of my favorites. Perfectly delicate and interesting gold leaf necklace.
The leaves were probably beaten on a die engraved with the pattern. The beads
are lapis and glass in cylinder shapes of different sizes. Right,
I don't know for sure what this is, could be an ornate cloak jewel or part of a necklace. Looks silver but the gold
is very light. |
Ceremonial Armband
| Above left, the caption explains this piece. Wish they would specify the weight in
grams. Must be quite heavy. |
Jeweled Gold Necklaces
| Above left, gorgeous Italian gold necklace composed of links that have garnet cabochons
inset in patterns. Each oblong bead is also heavily repousse'd. Right, a more delicate Italian gold and gem necklace with a carnelian pendant.
The colored beads have round cabochons of quartz and agate inset into bezels. The gold beads are wound wire.
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Lions in Gold
| Above, a wonderful demonstration of the jeweler's art. The artist who created this was a
sculptor and a lover of wildlife.
This must have belonged to a very wealthy owner. The lion
heads are perfectly realistic and life like. The gold has an unusual deep burnished tone. You can even see whiskers on the
lions' noses. There were gemstones in the eyes, probably emeralds. The piece seems to be a necklace but could also
be a fastener for a cloak that was made with loops to accept the hooks on the lions.
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More Necklaces & Gold
| These photos speak for themselves.
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Hope you enjoyed this quick tour of some of the jewelry in the British Museum.
If you have additional information about any of the pieces in the photos please let me know so I can post it.
Send an email with comments or questions.
Gallery of Creative Ideas
Wonderful Collection of Vintage Rhinestone Jewelry
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