Clove jewellery: fragrant necklaces in Middle Eastern & North African traditions

Clove jewellery: fragrant necklaces in Middle Eastern & North African traditions

by | Objects

The power of spices

Cloves in jewellery from North Africa & the Middle East

Updated September 19, 2025

Cloves are not only a spice that fills kitchens with fragrance — they have also found their way into jewellery. From Morocco to Palestine, cloves were strung into necklaces known as qiladet qrunful, worn as amulets, wedding jewellery, and telling of the intimacy between spouses. These clove necklaces are a beautiful example of how everyday materials can carry deep symbolic meaning in Middle Eastern and North African jewellery traditions, so let’s look at their use and history!

What are cloves used for in history and medicine?

Cloves were imported from India as early as the Middle Ages: in the 13th century, tax lists from the port of Aden, in Yemen, include clove as medicinal spices [1], and in Malaga, in Spain, the pharmacist Ibn al-Baitar included clove in his overview of medicinal plants, herbs and spices. [2]

The medicinal use of clove is often also based in its fragrance alone. An example from early 20th century Palestine says that if a child has diarrhoea, it needs to have a dough pie filled with mutton, onions, cinnamon, cloves and other herbs broken open above its face, so that the child may smell it. [3]

Cloves in jewellery across North Africa & the Middle East

Cloves were used in jewellery early, too. A string of cloves was excavated in Qaw el-Kebir, Egypt, and dates to the 5th – 7th century. [4] In the 10th century, Abbasid author al-Washsha described what elegant people in the city of Baghdad would wear.

“Their well-known way of dressing themselves in jewelry arranged as necklaces consists of wearing chokers with fermented cloves, long necklaces of camphor and ambergris, chains of interlaced pearls, necklaces from which hang notched boxes with amulets, others decorated with twisted ribbons of gold, or of silk woven into the form of a chain…” [5]

That is a ton of scent described right there! I liked the description of fragrant jewellery worn together with precious materials like gold and silver, because that is still very much the case in 19th and early 20th jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia. See for example the scented paste beads, beautifully strung with pearls and coral, in this article.

Cloves and Palestinian wedding traditions

I love how cloves signify the bond between women in Palestinian wedding traditions. Here, clove necklaces are part of wedding adornment. They are threaded onto necklaces by a double thread, that runs through both ends of the clove. To pierce the cloves, they had to be soaked in water first, and in some cases, it is said that the bride used this scented water on the day of her wedding.

Other traditions note that a Palestinian father would pay for these necklaces, both for his daughter and her female relatives and friends, as a sign of his appreciation for their friendship. That creates an entirely different level of expression and communication: that bond is emphasised by fragrance throughout the wedding ceremonies.

The close relation between cloves and weddings is visible in the memory of Wardeh, a Palestinian woman, who after her engagement went to buy cloves for necklaces, along with henna, indigo, tea herbs and amulet beads on the spice market. [6]

Cloves as amulets in Palestinian culture

Cloves were also believed to keep evil at a distance through their smell alone. [7] The necklaces worn on weddings were also powerful amulets against the Qarina, a spirit who harmed young children and expectant mothers. As such, they were worn after the wedding, too.

That use as amulet could also be achieved by simply wearing cloves in a pouch on the body, together with pepper and beads believed to ward off the evil eye. [8] These were amulets that wearers would create themselves, using supplies that were readily available in the market.

Clove jewellery as a sign of marriage and intimacy

The scent of clove has another capacity, too: it is believed to work as an aphrodisiac – something that inspires mutual attraction and sensuality. Unsurprisingly, you’ll find these in jewellery for married women – it protects from the Qarina and other jealous spirits, while also inspiring the love of a husband.

An example is the necklace above, which is from Morocco: here, the cloves were pierced lengthwise and threaded to form a ball. You’ll find cloves strung alongside coral, enameled elements and even gold throughout North Africa: they were an integral part of married life.

Clove jewellery: fleeting scent, enduring heritage

Clove jewellery may seem unusual today, but in the past it carried powerful layers of meaning. Whether protecting brides from spirits, marking a wedding bond, or simply delighting with its fragrance, the qiladet qrunful shows us how jewellery is never just adornment.

Even something as humble as a clove could become a cherished amulet or wedding necklace, woven into the cultural memory of Palestine and beyond. By looking closely at these fragrant jewels, we rediscover how symbolic and intimate jewellery traditions once were — and they continue to inspire today!

Frequently Asked Questions about clove jewellery

What is a qiladet qrunful?
A qiladet qrunful is a clove necklace traditionally worn in Palestine. It is often part of wedding jewellery and symbolises both protection and intimacy, as cloves were believed to repel spirits and carried a pleasant fragrance.

Why are cloves used in jewellery?
Cloves have long been valued for their strong scent and medicinal properties. In jewellery, they were used as amulets against harmful spirits, as well as symbols of love, fertility, and the bond between spouses.

Where is clove jewellery found?
Clove jewellery appears in North African and Middle Eastern traditions. Examples are recorded from Morocco, Palestine, and other parts of the region where cloves were imported as valuable spices.

Is clove jewellery still worn today?
While rare today, clove necklaces survive in museum collections and family heirlooms. They are an important reminder of how everyday materials like spices could carry deep symbolic meaning in jewellery.

What does clove jewellery symbolise in marriage?
In Palestinian tradition, clove necklaces were worn by brides as a sign of marriage and intimacy. The fragrance of the cloves was thought to protect the couple while also symbolising closeness and affection.

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References

[1] Herbal Medicine in Yemen, p. 27.

[2] Mouhajir, F. 2002. Medicinal plants used by Berber and Arab People of Morocco, PhD thesis, University of British Columbia, p. 11.

[3] British Museum, inv. no. OA.882. The string was on display in the exhibition Silk Roads in the British Museum.

[4] Granqvist, H. 1950, Child Problems Among The Arabs, p. 97

[5] Williams, E.D. 2015. Worldly Adornments: Women’s Precious Metal Jewelry in the Early Medieval Eastern Mediterranean (500-1100 CE). PhD thesis, New York University, p. 47

[6] Kawar, W.D. Threads of Identity, p. 330.

[7] Garcia Probert 2021, Exploring the Life of Amulets in Palestine, PhD-thesis Leiden University, p. 247

[7] Garcia Probert 2021, Exploring the Life of Amulets in Palestine, PhD-thesis Leiden University, p. 236

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

This blog is free: if you’d like to support independent research, please consider enrolling in a course or a jewellery talk. The proceeds directly fund my research work: thank you so much for your support!

Jewellery and the senses: smell

Jewellery and the senses: smell

by | General jewellery topics

Sensory research

Jewellery and the senses: smell

Published on December 13, 2024

Ethnic jewellery is often studied for its aesthetic, symbolic, and material qualities. But there is much more to it, that is difficult to study from a book or when a jewel is lying in a museum case…and that is the sensory experiences it evokes for its wearers and the people around it. And imagine, for archaeological jewellery that is even harder, as there is no one left to ask! So, I wanted to introduce the relationship between jewellery and the senses: what did a piece of jewellery mean for its wearer? And what do we miss out as researchers and collectors, coming from another culture or timeframe? In this third article, we’ll look at smell.

Why study jewellery and smell?

Smell is an incredibly powerful sense, even if it is invisible and fleeting. The perfume industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry globally, and just the simple fact that people are willing to pay for the sensation of spritzing themselves with a perfume which will inevitably dissipate, tells you something about that importance. It’s temporary, it does not last… but we do want it.

In North Africa and Southwest Asia in particular, the use of fragrant materials is part of ancient cultural, social, and religious traditions. Understanding this dimension of adornment not only enriches our appreciation of these pieces, but also offers new ways that we may look at jewellery.

So, what is it about the olfactory dimension of jewellery? How may we explore and understand something that has gone…?

Smell: scent and its significance in the Middle East

In North Africa and the Middle East, scent is more than an aesthetic pleasure; it is a vital part of daily life, social customs, and religious practices. Fragrance is considered a means of purification, an enhancer of personal allure, and a medium for spiritual connection.

The Prophet Muhammad himself is said to have cherished perfumes, and the use of scent holds an esteemed place in Islamic tradition. The Qur’an and hadiths mention the value of pleasant aromas, especially in ritual contexts such as prayer and preparation for worship.

Culturally, the importance of fragrance is inseparable from concepts of hospitality and intimacy. Homes in the Arab Peninsula are often infused with bakhoor (incense) to welcome guests, while perfumed oils are applied to skin and hair as acts of personal grooming and, again, devotion. These practices underscore a shared belief that fragrance enhances the human connection—whether between individuals, families, or the divine.

How all this works, is explained in the course on Scents in the Middle East!

Wearing scent: jewellery that smells

Jewellery often incorporates materials and designs intended to diffuse or carry scent. For example, silver amulets and pendants sometimes feature hollow compartments, or small perforated boxes. These are designed to hold scented substances such as musk, ambergris, cotton or wool infused with scented oils, or dried herbs and flowers – anything that smells! These containers allow wearers to carry a personal fragrance throughout the day, linking ornamentation to olfactory meaning.

See the meaning and importance of just one example of such a container in this article

Jewellery like this serves not only as decoration, but also as powerful amulet. The scents are believed to ward off the evil eye, a pervasive belief throughout the region. The protective power of these fragrances complements the talismanic role of the jewellery itself.

Adornment and smell: hair, body and dress

In all these contexts, the use of scent in jewellery is closely tied to other scented elements such as dress, hair, and the body itself. After all, layering perfumes was invented in the Middle East! Hair is often cared for with fragrant oils, or indeed scented paste that worked both as a haircare product and modelling agent. Remnants of these pastes can sometimes be found on hair jewellery, as I explain in more detail here.

Items of clothing can be fragranced by fumigating them with incense, and the body itself is cared for with scented oils and perfumes as well: imagine how jewellery once formed part and parcel of this fragrant aura surrounding the wearer!

Jewellery and smell: scent as a research field

So, how to use the sense of smell in jewellery research? After all, most of it is gone…the only thing that remains may be a layer of drab dark residu, or the visual indication that something may have smelled through its design, for example. There are a few ways to go about this:

Look: Awareness of this invisible capacity is key! When you are aware, or may have an inkling or idea, that cultures used fragrance and attached importance to it, actively look for this possibility, too.

Test: Residues of scented oils, resins, or powders can sometimes be detected through scientific methods. Researchers use techniques like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify organic compounds and reconstruct the original scent profile of a piece.

Compare: Examining the cultural and historical context of jewellery can provide clues about whether or not fragrance was used. By that I do not mean to simply slap a capacity of one culture onto another: that never works. What I would suggest however, is that by comparing widely, we may keep an open mind as to what possibilities exist.

Ask: Equally often overlooked, but incredibly important: just ask! Interviews with artisans and communities that still produce traditional jewellery, or that remember how a previous generation made use of this capacity, can get you invaluable insights in how scent was integrated into these pieces.

Jewellery and smell: an invisible world of meaning

Understanding the role of scent in jewellery can deepen our appreciation of the cultural significance of these pieces. Collectors, for example, could consider the olfactory history of their acquisitions as part of their storytelling value: imagine all the stories these pieces could share, about weddings and other festivities, about faith and devotion, about individual preferences and hospitality…all coming together in a piece of jewellery.

In the next installment on the sensory dimensions of jewellery, we’ll be looking at sound!

Read the earlier blogs on the sensory aspects of jewellery here:

Sight

Touch

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References

This blog is based on my book Silver & Frankincense – Scent and Adornment in the Arab world.

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Not Lost But Gone Before

Not Lost But Gone Before

by | European jewellery, General jewellery topics

Jewellery conference

Not Lost But Gone Before

Published on October 26, 2024

When you have been following this blog for a while, you know that jewellery to me is a historic source. It shares a lot about both the people that made and wore these items as well as the world they lived in. No jewellery is more personal in that respect than mourning jewellery. Even though this is a very Western thing, I have been fascinated by it for quite some time, and so I jumped at the chance to co-organise Not Lost But Gone Before, an entire afternoon of talks about this particular topic!

Not Lost But Gone Before: the title

Not Lost But Gone Before was born out of enthusiasm of three people. Kim van Zweeden is a jewellery researcher and podcast host with a wide interest in all things jewellery. Sophie van Gulik is a jewellery specialist and researcher, and the third person, you guessed it, is me.

We share an appreciation of the beauty and history in mourning jewellery, and so we almost organically came up with the idea to organise a symposium when we learned the one and only Sarah Nehama was coming to The Netherlands! Sarah is a specialist on mourning jewellery and author of the book In Death Lamented: see more about that here.

We named the symposium after one of the mottos that is often found on mourning jewellery: Not Lost But Gone Before is a beautiful line, instilling hope in those left behind that they may be reunited with their loved ones at some unknown point in the future.

Mourning jewellery

Mourning jewellery is incredibly personal and sentimental. From the 17th century onwards, jewellery commemorating departed loved ones became fashionable, and this reached an absolute peak in the 19th century. Queen Victoria donned mourning dress after the death of her husband Albert, and as such singlehandedly created a boom in the market for all sorts of mourning jewellery.

Much of that jewellery has survived, and is avidly collected. Our symposium sold out, and we were thrilled to have a room filled with an audience eager to learn more and share!

Sarah presented an overview of mourning jewellery, starting with the earliest memento mori-jewellery and finishing in the 20th century. She explained how styles developed and how new techniques found their way into mourning jewellery, such as daguerreotypes and photography.

Sophie shared the memory of her ancestor, Anna Paulowna (Pauline) van Gulik. This was a powerful story on how personal jewellery can be: after the early death of Pauline, her family went into mourning and held on to every single piece of material culture surrounding her death and funeral. Photos, jewellery, mourning dress and other mementos are still kept in the family until today, and illustrate how hard letting go can be.

Kim brought us a kaleidoscopic overview of mourning customs in her home province, Zeeland. We learned about the stages of mourning expressed through jewellery and dress, the (sometimes) very local customs and choices, and brought us up to speed with traditions from Zeeland.

And finally, I presented a talk on a unique mourning ring from the Netherlands, a piece that ties in closely with national history and the mythmaking that surrounds historical figures.

Mourning jewellery: exhibition

Of course, no symposium on jewellery is complete without an exhibition! We curated a small, but beautiful exhibition on mourning jewellery from The Netherlands and the UK. In it, we addressed materials, such as hairwork and jet. Hairwork is not necessarily exclusively for mourning, but how to tell the difference? And while mourning jewellery is often associated with jet, in The Netherlands this does not exist: mourning jewellery is made of black glass. Mourning necklaces from various in The Netherlands, brooches and rings from both The Netherlands and the UK as well as a beautiful selection of mourning dress in Sophie’s family allowed the guests to enjoy an overview of the wide field of mourning jewellery.

Not Lost But Gone Before: a recurring event

The symposium on mourning jewellery was well received: the room was sold out and we had guests coming from considerable distances to join in. The mingling and discussions afterwards, as well as the experiences shared around the exhibition, made it abundantly clear that there is still so much to explore and share! Not Lost But Gone Before will return in 2025: if you’d like to be kept informed, please drop me a line and we will add you to our mailing list for this event!

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The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on the jewellery of the Egyptian zar-ritual. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.

MODA Moroccan Fashion Statements

MODA Moroccan Fashion Statements

by | Museums & Exhibitions

Fashion and design from morocco

MODA: Moroccan Fashion Statements

Published October 10, 2024

Every now and then I come across an exhibition that really leaves me inspired, so imagine my joy when I visited the huge exhibition on Moroccan fashion in Utrecht: MODA – Moroccan fashion statements. Not just because I may have thought ‘I would totally love to wear this’ a little too often, but because this was just immersed with meaning expressed in material form. As usual, click on any of the images below to enlarge them!

MODA: not just any fashion exhibition

Before I take you through a few of my personal highlights, a few general observations. This is an incredibly varied exhibition, in which you will find high couture and street art, luxurious materials and stray finds, innovative and familiar shapes. As the curatorial team (Ninke Bloemberg, curator and iniator of this exhibition, and Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency) pointed out, this exhibition is not based on books or other forms of debate on what fashion is.

This selection is rooted in people, in everyday life, in today’s culture. It does not aim to be an overview of everything Morocco has to offer in terms of fashion (because you’d need a venue even larger than this), but a celebration of today’s up-and-coming designers alongside fashion icons. It’s like a snapshot of what inspires Moroccan designers today, and a glimpse into the history of fashion. It also illustrates how there is no such thing as monolithic ‘Moroccan’ fashion – the diversity of styles and influences is wide.

Moroccan fashion: today’s world

The first creation I saw, serves as a perfect example. Two designs by Maison Sara Chraïbi: one a wide cloak, the other a flapper-style dress, both from her 2024 Spring-Summer collection. Both carry an image of view into a mosque, whose arches beautifully blend with the lines of the design.

It is not any mosque, however: this is the 12th century Tinmal Mosque, in the High Atlas mountain range. During the devastating earthquake of 2023, it was substantially damaged. Here, its arches are embellished with sparkling gold beads. I imagined how sewing these on, one by one, is almost an act of restoring and protecting, and how wearing it fuses a person and their heritage together. It both brings inner life to the architecture, and embodies a promise to the future.

There is such strength and resilience, but also hope and joy in these first two pieces, that I totally get why these are the show-starters.

Contemporary issues, vintage to ancient design

The design immediately next to it caught my eye, too: a hooded cloak, called silham, covered in embroidered eyes, by Maison ARTC. The cloak itself is vintage, the embroidery has been added. The poem that goes with it, speaks volumes:

I see the change,
The love,
The anger,
The culture,
The hope,
The lack of justice,
The art,
The pain,
The people,
The community,
The world,
Myself,
Don’t forget to witness.

I found the use of eyes in this context extremely powerful: not only do they represent seeing and witnessing, but they also shield the wearer – the power of the eye in deflecting evil is ancient, and the use of sparkling sequins adds to that averting evil. The colour of this cloak, that of henna, adds to that protective and blessing capacity. Seeing and shielding in one garment: it’s this layered meaning that I found to be present throughout the exhibition.

MODA: artists, artisans and everyday life

The exhibition breathes cultural roots and almost effortlessly connects these with new designs and forms. Like the opera cloak of Dior’s 2020 Cruise Collection. Made of wool, dyed with henna, it clearly echoed the traditional henna cloth of southern Morocco. That relation between artists and artisans is also explored in the exhibition. There is a stunning dress where the loom is part of its design by Said Mahrouf, and the same exhibition room shows videos of artisans at work. Here, you’ll also find a wonderful selection of antique Moroccan jewellery on loan from the National Jewellery Museum in Rabat.

What absolutely made my head spin was the attention to hairstyles. Ilham Mestour, a celebrated hairstylist, created several hair designs based on the traditional hairdos of Amazigh women. One of them looked like it was created with actual scented paste, so I asked Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency, one of the curators, about this piece in particular.

She told me that this was made with ghasoul, and that it smelled wonderful when they took it out of its container to install in the room – I can imagine! Including hair in an exhibition on fashion makes total sense: it is through hairstyles that tribal identities are expressed, but also how a form of private space and time is created. Creating these elaborate hairstyles is much more than just a form of outward appearance: you could say it is the end result of valuable time spent together, stories shared and knowledge transmitted. And that very much belongs in an exhibition on fashion.

MODA: an multi-faceted, rich exhibition

There is much more in this exhibition: from family photos to playful designs, from personal inspiration to global shows. And while I focus, due to the nature of my work I guess, on the more traditional elements that informed the designs, either implicitly or explicitly, that only is just one element of the creations on show. You will see opinions on how we treat our planet, mass-production and pollution, fast consumerism and prejudice.

There is also continuous attention for fashion in art, from street photography to photos enhanced with embroidery (which reminded me a lot of the Imaginarium-project in its treatment of printed matter), video art, a contemplative space to immerse oneself in publications and to meet with other visitors, and a myriad of details that require more than 1 visit – at least, for me!

It is the first time that such a large exhibition on Moroccan fashion has been organised in The Netherlands, and I hope this will be the start of many more: I highly recommend to visit if you have the chance!

MODA. Moroccan Fashion Statements in Centraal Museum Utrecht, Oct 3rd 2024 – March 2, 2025.

Co-curated by Ninke Bloemberg of Centraal Museum and Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency

I was invited to the press preview and received a copy of the catalogue as a PR-invite.

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The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

What does a jewellery historian do?

What does a jewellery historian do?

by | General jewellery topics

Jewellery research

What does a jewellery historian do…?

Published on August 23, 2024

When people learn I’m a jewellery historian, their first response is often ‘I had no idea that was a thing!’, usually followed by ‘What does a jewellery historian do…?’ In this two-part blog, I’m using the questions I asked about my work to zoom on what it is jewellery historians do, and of course, how I go about it myself. So here is Part 1!

What is jewellery history?

Being a jewellery historian is not a clearly defined field, and that offers plenty possibilities for individual researchers to give it their own spin. Our central theme is, unsurprisingly, jewellery, but that is a theme you can observe from many angles. Jewellery history is a very wide field.

Starting with scope, most jewellery historians focus on either one type or category of jewellery, on a specific timeframe or geographical region, or both. It’s completely impossible to know everything and anything on all jewellery ever created by humans, so limiting one’s scope occurs almost naturally.

Just one example: I have a friend who is extremely knowledgeable about all things jet throughout time: her starting point is the material itself, and from there she traces technical, historical, cultural and economic aspects of jet jewellery. [1] We met at the Society of Jewellery Historians in London, where we both were presenting a talk: yes, we have a society and it’s not even secret! [2]

There are jewellery historians who are extremely focused on technological aspects, but who could not tell you the first thing about its cultural meaning. There are jewellery historians who are intrigued by the aesthetic and iconographic evolving of jewellery as adornment, jewellery historians who study the social meaning of jewellery, and even forensic jewellery historians, who help give a voice to the dead by looking at their jewellery.

The study of jewellery in the widest sense is incredibly varied, and that is what makes it into such a fascinating field, I think.

How did I become a jewellery historian?

There is not really a curriculum to become a jewellery historian in the field of North African and Southwest Asian adornment. For me, this is a self-built field, that took me decades of finding my own path and pursuing my own research interests. And I would not have it any other way, too: I love and appreciate the freedom to go exploring what works and does not work for me, and dive deeper into those aspects that I really enjoy.

So, it’s not something I consciously set out to achieve, with a clear plan and a solid goal in mind: for me, it was more of a natural path that I followed, let by my interests, which eventually led to the realisation I might have become a jewellery historian – and then I went with that.

And what if you wanted to become one? Other avenues to approach include following education at the GIA, pursue specialisation within an art history or design curriculum, or within applied sciences…there are endless possibilities to developing yourself into a jewellery historian.

And where do jewellery historians find a job?

Good question! I also get asked a lot how I ‘got this job’: more on that below, so keep reading! Where may jewellery historians end up? Of course, there are museums with jewellery collections, where jewellery historians work as curators. In academia, you may find them as lecturers in design or history departments, although with most universities, there is not really a curriculum in wider jewellery studies itself. Auction houses also often employ jewellery historians to identify and appraise jewellery, and there is always the possibility of starting your own business as a jewellery dealer or consultant!

Jewellery history: how do I go about my work?

How do I fit in all this? How did I land my job? I have a few central themes that are pivotal to me and which guide my work. You might think of these as my mission, or maybe my main values. This is not necessarily how other jewellery historians interpret their work, this is how I think of mine.

First, I have a clear scope. I focus on adornment in the many cultures in North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological jewellery from this region and from Europe. There is much more out there, and although I have built up quite a large mental reference, I need to reach out to fellow researchers every once in a while, too. Which is always great, because then I get to learn something new…!

Central to my work are these themes:

1) For me, jewellery is a historic source. It has so much to tell, about the world of women, climate change, religion, history, geopolitics, identity…⁠So I’m not the type of historian who focuses on art historian or iconographic details, but more of a historian who places jewellery in its wider context as material culture. That could also be the archaeologist in me, of course, but I can’t see jewellery as simply embellishments only. That would be selling its amazing capacities of storytelling short.

2) Jewellery does not exist in a vacuum. It belongs within a particular context: studying jewellery means understanding this cultural and historic context as well. To me, that is absolutely essential.

You could imagine this as ever widening circles. Starting with jewellery and the body, there is of course looking at directly related fields of study, such as dress and body aesthetic, but also taking research and theory into shaping personal identity into account, along with things like gender studies. Widening our view a little further, there is the field of economy and trade to observe, ranging from household economy to shifting geopolitical landscapes. Beyond that, there is the intangible: how does jewellery relate to informal ritual, but also to things like expressions or sayings, songs, and poetry?

3) Jewellery is heritage. It is a living part of the society that created it. To me, this is crucial, particularly when thinking about its future. Where is the jewellery, currently residing with private collectors, going to end up? For me, engaging with, and more importantly listening to the communities that created and wore these items of jewellery is of major importance.

4) Personal adornment is not simply an ‘object’: in many cultures it forms part of a person, helps them grow and is believed to contribute to their safety and wellbeing. Thinking of jewellery as being alive somehow offers different approaches to understanding these better, instead of only looking at them as a commodity that you can buy or sell.

How did I get this job as a jewellery historian?

Well, I built it myself. I think this may be one of the things I’m most proud of: that I can actually build a business out of something I believe to important and something I love doing – a business that allows me to keep on working in and adding to this field.

It makes me feel incredibly grateful to realise there are so many people who do not just buy jewellery, but are also genuinely interested in their cultural background. The e-courses I developed for example work so well they helped me fund my (self-funded, because independent researcher) PhD research in the past, and now they continue to support my next research projects. On top of that, I get to do commissioned writing in really exciting projects and to present talks on jewellery, all while helping other appreciate their collections of jewellery even more. It’s honestly the best job ever.

But what do I do all day, exactly? More on that in Part 2 of this blog!

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References

[1] Sarah Caldwell-Steele is a researcher and jetworker who knows jet in and out! Follow her work and research here.

[2] The Society of Jewellery Historians is very much worth joining! Fascinating lectures, an illustrated periodical and always something new to learn.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.