About
30 years of jewellery research
About Sigrid
Hi! Nice to meet you!
I am Sigrid, jewellery historian and archaeologist. I love how jewellery tells us the stories of its wearers. When I came across traditional silver jewellery for the first time, almost 30 years ago, it set me on a beautiful path of learning how to read jewellery.
I teach online courses on Middle Eastern and archaeological jewellery, I write books and articles, I present talks and workshops, and curate exhibitions. I describe and inventory collections: in short, I do everything to keep knowledge about jewellery alive and visible!
I’m an independent researcher: this website as well as my research is run without funding. If you’d like to support my work, consider enrolling in a course or a jewellery talk: they start at 5 euros!
My mission
Why study adornment?
My goal is to get collected items of adornment from North Africa and Southwest Asia ready for the future. Jewellery, along with related forms of adornment, is heritage and forms a historic source of its own. I work to preserve the information they hold: many collections are currently on the eve of being handed over to the next generation, and sadly they often lose their identity in the process. ‘What is this?’ is the question I get asked the most! By researching and sharing the many stories it holds, I hope future generations will not only treasure the pieces themselves, but the history they represent as well. Because at the end of the day, we are passing through their lives. I speak about my mission on conferences such as INHORGENTA, and was mentioned in Forbes.
Achievements
Grants and awards
I am most honoured to have received the following grants and awards!
2022 – Juynboll Grant to finish writing my PhD thesis
2024 – GemX Scholarship Prize 2024 supporting full open access of my thesis Silver of the Possessed. See the video of this award here.
Gaining knowledge
Education
I love to keep learning! My main research interest is jewellery and informal ritual.
I obtained my PhD, in jewellery, ritual and collected objects, at Leiden University in 2024.
I completed the Harvard course Predictions: Omens, Oracles and Prophecies (certificate, 2024).
I completed the Harvard course Leadership: Creating Public Value. (certificate, 2024)
Sigrid is not only an academic, but a fantastic storyteller.
Thank you for a fascinating presentation, beautifully presented with lots of new information for us to digest. Your time-keeping was impeccable, too.
Thank you again for speaking at Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center today. It was just perfect – we had so many great comments and questions!
Sharing knowledge
Organising events
The best thing about jewellery studies is hearing the perspective of others! In 2024, I organised the symposium ‘Visible Beauty, Hidden Meanings‘ in the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden.
Seven national and international speakers explored adornment: artists, makers, practitioners, archaeologists and historians all brought their own view on jewellery, hair, body aesthetic, smell, sound, and most of all…our imagination.
Check the event calendar or subscribe to the Jewellery List below to be in the loop on future events!
