Jewelry That Isn't Quite Right
Concentrating on 1450-1500s Florence
If you haven't seen the history of jewelry essay, you might find it useful to visit there. If you click right here, you'll see some more period examples of jewelry.
Bear in mind that for just about anything, you can likely find a primary source somewhere that breaks any rules. These are not rules. These are merely suggestions.
Big Pink Cameos
Cameos were very popular in the Medici period, but were very
different-looking than the Victorian profiles we're used to today. Look
for dramatic colors and mythological or classical themes. Portrait
profiles were used, but most of them appear to have been depicting men.
Glittery Faceted Gems
Faceting started to get popular in Florence around the early 1400s,
but most of what you saw was the "table cut", or almost-flat surface. It
has been said that whenever you see a black gem in a portrait (notably
those of the admittedly-not-terribly-Italian Queen Elizabeth I), that is a
table-cut diamond. There just isn't a lot of glitter or sparkle in them.
The closest thing I've found that looks right are the flat-cut glass
gemstones you can find at places like Pillaged Village. You can't go
wrong with cabuchons (rounded tops), of course.
Delicate Airy Little Pendants on Chains
While one portrait I know of has a figure wearing a cameo on a
multistrand gold chain necklace, most pendants dangle off of far more
substantial chains and beaded necklaces than we normally wear today.
Page last edited: May 17, 2007