5 rookie mistakes

5 rookie mistakes

by | Tips for collectors

Avoid these mistakes in collecting

5 rookie mistakes lessons I learned in collecting jewellery

Updated Feb 16, 2025

Collecting vintage and antique jewellery from the Middle East is such a beautiful activity. The hunt for that one special piece, the jolt of excitement you feel when it finally arrives or when you walk out of that store! But…did you know there are some pitfalls that can impact the importance and even the value of your collection? Here are 5 mistakes I totally made myself – and which proved to be valuable lessons!

1. Neglecting to research regional styles and techniques

That’s a no-brainer… diving into the market without a thorough understanding of the diverse styles and techniques specific to different regions and cultures will get you duped for sure. The Middle East and North Africa are a mosaic of cultures, each with its distinct jewellery traditions. From the intricate filigree work of Yemeni silversmiths to the colorful enamel designs of Amazigh craftsmen, the nuances are vast and varied.

When I purchased my first pieces of jewellery, as a young student, I definitely made mistakes (and I have the Drawer of Shame to prove it!) It took me a while to learn to recognize both regional styles and stylistic developments over time…and that is what it takes to avoid this: time.

My advice would be to invest time in researching the unique characteristics of jewellery from the regions or cultures you’d like to collect, right from the start. Having a handle on these aspects not only enhances your appreciation for the pieces, but also acts as a safeguard against purchasing replicas or misattributed items.

With time, you’ll become a lot less vulnerable against intentional fooling! This post tells you exactly what to look for.

2. Overlooking the importance of provenance and collection management

Provenance, or the documented history of a piece, is really paramount when building a collection of vintage and antique jewellery. Who were the previous owners of a piece? When was it first acquired? Has it been restored or altered? Equally important is keeping track of your collection. They usually go hand in hand.

The thing is I did not realize that this is actually important until much later. When I first started to collect jewellery, I just purchased what I liked and what I could afford, and never wrote anything down.

And people, did I come to regret that…! Things like the local name of a piece, or the name of the shop I found it, or the year I bought it. From the bottom of my heart: Write. It. Down.

Please do it now, while you still remember it – if not for your heirs, then for future collectors so they don’t have to start all over again with researching things you already knew. It’s such a waste of all the energy and time you have spent on finding out more on your pieces if they end up as nameless orphans.

Added bonus: I’ll never forget my surprise when I had purchased a piece of jewellery I was really excited about, only to discover I already owned one….believe me, there will be a point in time that you do not remember exactly what’s in your collection.

When purchasing jewellery with a gallery or online, ask for a comprehensive provenance that outlines its journey through time. You will have absolutely no problem obtaining this from reputable sellers! And, if you’re the first person to buy a piece in the country of origin itself, its provenance journey starts with you: download this free resource to do that in 5 easy, proven steps.

Why should you even care about provenance for jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa? Well, ultimately, a piece with a well-documented provenance ensures a transparent and trustworthy collection.

And while it may not matter to you now, as provenance only continues to increase in importance, it will be very relevant once you’d like to donate or sell your collection in the future. This post provides you with a clear action plan to approach a museum.

Of course, the jewellery itself speaks to its value and importance! But missing provenance may still cause the value of your collection to plummet, while outstanding provenance has proven to actually increase its value.

Want to start documenting your collection, but have no idea where to start? This course shows you step by step, including templates, checklists and how-to’s!

3. Failing to authenticate materials

Now here’s a field I made errors of judgment in, too. How to recognize real amber and coral from a photograph, for example? The Drawer of Shame contains bloopers here, too.

What is presented as silver may actually be low-grade silver or even base metal, and what about those murky waters of gemstones? Failing to authenticate these elements can lead to costly oversights, as I have learned in the past.

Granted, it’s a mistake you’ll only make once, but still. That feeling of having misjudged is just painful. There’s a reason I call it the Drawer of Shame instead of the Drawer of Valuable Lessons Learned, after all.

Related to that is insight in the use of synthetic materials: they really do not have to be indicators of reproductions. You just need to know which is which…for which I refer back to point number 1 above.

Synthetic materials may be authentic replacements, or even part of its design from the start. Click here to see some surprising examples of pieces that were actually designed with plastic.

I’d say it is crucial to be well-versed in the materials commonly employed in Middle Eastern jewellery, and their uses during different time periods. This, too, takes time and learning.

4. Ignoring preservation and maintenance practices

So, you’ve successfully purchased a piece of jewellery…and then all of a sudden it has turned green from verdigris. Yes, been there, too! And that panic attack is one I will not lightly forget.

Silver jewellery requires attention and care to preserve its beauty. Ignoring proper preservation and maintenance practices can result in irreversible damage, diminishing the value of your collection.

How to avoid your collection ending up damaged? For this, you’ll want to implement careful storage practices: see 4 simple tips on how to store – and how not to store – silver here.

A second advice is to regularly inspect pieces for signs of wear, loose settings, or corroded metal. By adopting a proactive approach to preservation, you safeguard the longevity and quality of your wonderful collection.

Quick tip: since that encounter with the Green Monster, I go over my collection twice a year. Around the end of the year, in the holiday season, and roughly halfway through the year during my Summer break.

5. Underestimating the power of connecting with others

Building a collection of vintage and antique jewellery from the Middle East is an ongoing learning process, and that is also the fun of it. I honestly learn something new every day!

Networking with experts and fellow collectors is fun, stimulating and productive. Underestimating the importance of connecting with individuals who share a passion for the same niche can limit your growth as a collector.

That sounds like a big claim, but think of it as an ever-expanding circle: see more, learn more, lessen your chances of getting duped.

For me, I noticed that I started to make significantly less mistakes when I started learning from others. Having conversations works both ways and develops never-ending, mutual learning.

And most of all: I gained friendships and a community that are just invaluable. Thank you for being here!

—

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More tips for collectors? Browse them all here!

Never miss a thing on jewellery news? Join the Jewellery List and find them in your inbox each month!

Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East!

—

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.

Oman Adorned

Oman Adorned

by | Reviews

Omani silver jewellery

Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver

Published Dec 15, 2023

It’s a book that has been out for almost 30 years….Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver was published in 1997, but still is on the ‘most wanted’-list for many collectors. What is it about this book that makes it such a must-have, even though it has been out of print for decades?

The book 'Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver' shown with an Omani gold and silver necklace.

Oman Adorned: a hard to find book

I myself have been looking for this book for the better part of 12 years. And when I finally obtained a copy in 2023, I could not believe my luck! So, what’s the big deal about this book? Is it worth the hype?

I’d say: yes, it is. And that is not because I purchased it at a steep price and am now trying to convince myself, rather than anyone else, that it was worth it. (looking at you, new pair of overpriced shoes!) In all transparency, I hit the book jackpot for once, with a bookstore who did not realize the value of its contents for collectors and sold it at a very reasonable price.

Omani silver jewellery: an overview

Oman Adorned presents the silver jewellery tradition of Oman in three parts. These are geographically defined between Northern Oman, Central Oman and Southern Oman.

Where it truly excels, is in providing the cultural context and original names of things. And those names are not just given for the jewellery pieces themselves, but also often for its individual components: beads, dangles, coins…and even the sound some hollow anklets with small pebbles on the inside make is mentioned with its own name.

For each jewel, the book describes how and when it was worn. A large number of photographs shows what that looked like. The introductory chapter brings the history and geography of Oman, and throughout the book its various cultures are presented.

Detail of Dhofari silver jewellery from Oman.

Living Omani silver: trade, background and culture

On top of all this, all three parts of Oman Adorned include background information beyond the pieces themselves. There’s a chapter on silver jewellery for children, and jewellery in relation to the lives of women: how and when they obtain silver jewellery and why.

You’ll also find a chapter on silver jewellery and the Omani zar ceremony, the difference in jewellery and meaning between boys, men, girls and women, and chapters on trade and ownership. You’ll read how babies’ ears were pierced, how anklets added to the festivities of dance, how kohl was produced and hair was braided.

As such, Oman Adorned covers many more aspects of jewellery than just the ornamental. It discusses silver jewellery as ornament, as possession, as amulet, and as part of economic trade and household economy.

And that is what sets it aside from other books on jewellery: many of them present jewellery with only very little information, and this book places jewellery squarely in its cultural context.

Limits of Oman Adorned

As you see, this is a must-have book in its detailed descriptions and background information. And even this thorough work has its limits.

The book is extremely well-researched, but it is not complete. And it could never be, because jewellery is living heritage that changes along with its makers and wearers: creativity cannot be frozen in time, or in book pages for that matter.

As the authors themselves already write in their foreword, there is so much more on Omani adornment they did not get around to investigating. They also note the gaps in knowledge and jewellery as a result of collecting: a super important point that many other books do not address. See more about that here.

They describe this book as ‘a start’ – and if this is the start, you’ll get an idea of how much more is out there…! Incidentally, the wonderful research project on Omani silver carried out by several research partners is a fantastic follow-up: click here to read more about this exciting project! The Dhofari jewellery shown above was on display in the British Museum in the accompanying exhibition, celebrating Omani silversmithing.

Oman Adorned: how to get it

Now that is the most difficult part! The book has been out of print for decades, and getting your hands on a copy is no easy task. Of course, we all hope that we will run into a copy in that small charity shop, at the sale of the local library or in that huge bookshop with second-hand books…but those odds are slim. It does pop up irregularly online, but that is indeed a rare occasion.

Booksite Find More Books keeps track of online bookstores and other digital platforms. They cast their search net wide, and include results from (among others) AbeBooks, Amazon, Ebay and roughly 60,000 antiquarian book dealers. With the search results for your title, it also shows a graph where readers can see how the price of a book develops over time and how often it is offered for sale. The results for Oman Adorned are telling: it has not been seen online between 2016 and 2023.

Oman Adorned: what is a reasonable price for this book?

There is no easy answer to this one! Its current value is determined largely by its scarcity and lack of competition: it’s a rare book, and a very detailed one. Anyone can make a catalogue, let’s say, but this book goes above and beyond that.

But, if it were to be reprinted, and with such high demand I wonder why it hasn’t already, the value of existing copies would plummet. And imagine…if a new book on Omani silver were to be published, provided it matches the detail and knowledge in Oman Adorned, the price would decrease, too.

I suppose the consideration is not so much to see it as an investment. It rather depends on the balance between the value of knowledge and insight, and your budget. For me, this is an exceptionally good (actually indispensable) book to help me in identifying and studying Omani silver. But, although I have come across a few copies incidentally earlier, those outweighed my means. Simple as that.

So, I located it in a library, and went there whenever I needed to look something up. Worldcat is a great resource for locating titles in libraries, but… here as well, it’s a rare title.

Are you looking for a copy of Oman Adorned? Set search alerts online, with your local bookstore, and…keep looking! It may take time, but if I found one, there is hope for you, too.

Do you own a copy that you wish to sell? Contact me and I’ll help you get in touch with people who would treasure it. Again, in all transparency: I will not be selling it for you – I will simply provide guidance on how to find a buyer who truly appreciates it.

Oman Adorned: an exceptional book

Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver is not just a phenomenal book in its wide variety of jewellery types, but very much also because of its rich and detailed social, historical and cultural context. This book is way more than a catalogue of things: it truly is a portrait of this beautiful country as seen through its jewellery.

More information on Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver

Title: Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver. By Dr. Miranda Morris & Pauline Shelton, 1997. 362 pages, full colour, in English.

Published by Apex Publishing, Muscat 7 London.

I purchased this book in a second-hand bookstore online.

—

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More book reviews of jewellery books? Browse them all here!

Never miss a thing on jewellery news? Join the Jewellery List and find them in your inbox each month!

Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East!

—

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].

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. 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.

Dictionnaire des Bijoux

Dictionnaire des Bijoux

by | Reviews

North African jewellery

Dictionnaire des Bijoux

The Dictionnaire des Bijoux (Dictionary of Jewellery) by Paul Eudel presents jewellery from North Africa. It’s a resource that has been around for more than a century, and you’ll find a downloadable copy for your own use with this post. What does this book offer, and what do we need to know before using it?

Describing jewellery from North Africa: the colonial background

Before you think: ‘Why do I need to know how, why and when a book was made? I just want to see jewellery references!’ – bear with me. Especially with older books, it is important to have some idea of the aim with which they were written. And that is because that aim colours our understanding of jewellery today. So here we go.

Paul Eudel’s overview of jewellery from North Africa was published in 1906. The Dictionary of Jewellery is the product of a project that started well before the 1900’s. Eudel had first published his works on the works of jewellers in Algeria and Tunisia, followed by an essay on jewellers in Morocco.

During this timeframe, the Maghreb was colonized by France. It is against this background that the book has been compiled. Its purpose was not simply to document jewellery from a cultural perspective, but far more from an economical perspective. Knowing what types of jewellery existed and what materials went into them, provided a basis to calculate and impose everyone’s favourite: taxes. Taxes, that would flow into the economy of France.

A dictionary of jewellery: critical reading

The re-edition of this book which I read, features an introduction by Moroccan ethnologist Abdelmajid Arrif. That introduction adds very necessary context to the book. One of the points he makes, is that the very act of listing, documenting and presenting information into a dictionary is a very colonial thing to do.

Now of course every culture on earth has been making lists since writing was first invented. On a side note, writing was invented because humans wanted to make lists – the invention of writing is literally rooted in economy.

It gets colonial when a culture starts making lists of things encountered in another culture: cities captured, enemies killed, loot taken are hot topics in ancient inscriptions. But, also the seemingly innocent listing of jewellery types in a colonized region falls into that category.

Dictionnaire des Bijoux by Paul Eudel, with a Kabyle fibula placed on the cover.

Jewellery from the Maghreb: what do we miss?

So, what are we missing from these many pages of jewellery examples? Most importantly, all cultural context is left out. This book presents an overview of jewellery types and nothing more. It’s a catalogue of sorts. Some entries also tell us where a certain piece was worn, and some even by whom. But mainly, it’s a list of objects.

The oral histories that go with jewellery pieces are missing. Their meaning as wedding or dowry gift, the symbolism in their design, the songs jewellery features in, the art and creativity of the jewellery creators themselves…all that and more has no place in a dictionary. It’s like a phone book, more or less: it simply lists your contacts, but it does not capture their personality or your relationship with them.

Eudel’s dictionary of jewellery: what do we have?

If you have read this far, you might be wondering by now if this book is useful at all. It very much is! The main thing to keep in mind is that this book is not the definitive book on North African jewellery. Obviously, you would not reasonably expect a book of only roughly 200 pages to showcase all jewellery from four countries. But lists often have that effect: if it’s not on the list, it does not exist. This is the third filter of selecting: click here to see how that works!

What it absolutely is very valuable for, is the original names of things. This overview presents us with a wealth of jewellery pieces from the Maghreb, all listed with their own name. These are often missing from today’s descriptions outside of the Maghreb itself, so having access to these is a major advantage.

The drawback is that, well, you’d have to know their name to find anything (it’s a dictionary, after all), but the many illustrations speak for themselves and make it easier to find the piece you’re looking for. And I may be a little bit of a nerd, but I love starting at A and letting myself be surprised by what I encounter!

Those illustrations themselves are also incredibly helpful. A perfume container for musk, called meskia, is depicted both open and closed. The hundreds of detailed drawings bring the jewellery from North Africa to life and show us what they looked like around the beginning of the 20th century. As a time capsule, it is a very helpful resource to get an idea of the date of some jewellery pieces.

Dictionnaire des Bijoux de l’Afrique du Nord: an important resource

With all its pros and cons, the Dictionnaire des Bijoux is an important resource for North African jewellery. It is a starting point for research, in that it offers insight into the types of jewellery in existence in the late 19th and early 20th century. When you’re looking into North African jewellery, this book will be a great help with their vernacular names. And with those, you will be able to extend your search and learn more: see here how to go about that!

As it is an old book, it is widely available in pdf-form, and you’ll find a downloadable pdf below this blog. This is a digital scan of the original book, so in its original formatting and without additional explanations, introduction or indexes.

Personally, I like having a reprint in tangible form on my shelf: it makes for much easier reading and searching. Details of the book that is pictured above in the video and the photograph are below: this edition has been reformatted and includes the introduction by Abdelmajid Arrif, the essay on jewellers in Morocco, and an alphabetic index.

Download the Dictionnaire des Bijoux here

More information on Dictionnaire des Bijoux de l’Afrique du Nord

Title: Dictionnaire des Bijoux de l’Afrique du Nord. Maroc, Algerie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine. By Paul Eudel (1906), with an introduction by Abdelmajid Arrif 2014. 255 pages, b/w with a few colour images, in French.

Published by Editions Frontispice.

Available online and in well-sorted bookstores.

I purchased this republished book in the museum shop of the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris.

—

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More book reviews of jewellery books? Browse them all here!

Never miss a thing on jewellery news? Join the Jewellery List and find them in your inbox each month!

Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East!

—

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. 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.

Jewellery clasps

Jewellery clasps

by | European jewellery, Reviews

A reference work on jewellery design

Clasps: 4,000 years of fasteners in jewellery

Every now and then I come across a book of which I think ‘How did I not know of this book before?!’ and this little book is one of those. Le Fermoir en Bijouterie, or in English, Clasps, devotes almost 300 pages to one of the most overlooked parts of jewellery: the way it closes.

Silver bracelet made by Tuful Ramadan, in the exhibition 'Making their Mark: women silversmiths from Oman' in the British Museum

Clasps in jewellery: 4,000 years of history

This book covers the use of clasps and other ways of fastening jewellery from the distant past to our times. From the Bronze Age to jewellery designs of our time, the author covers a multitude of ways to close necklaces, bracelets and anklets. You will see how torcs work, how anklets hinge, illustrated by a dazzling variety of jewellery. That includes a necklace worn by Marjorie Merriwather Post for example, but also a few examples of regional jewellery from Europe and the rest of the world.

This is 4,000 years of history, but apart from ancient Egypt and a lovely excursion to jewellery types of other areas, the focus is firmly on European jewellery: clasps like those of Maghrebi fibulas, or sliding knots from Indian jewellery are not included. That is not criticism, as this book covers an incredible amount of material – I think I’m just really hoping for a Part 2!

Clasps in close-up: photography and drawings

Another thing which makes this a great reference book are the detailed photographs of clasps. The beautiful pieces of jewellery are not only shown in their entirety, but also with focus on the details of the clasp. That means that you’ll see a lot of images of jewellery pieces both closed and open, and with details of that part you never see when worn: its reverse side.

Detailed schematic drawings throughout the book highlight closing mechanisms where necessary. The last part, the glossary of clasps, presents an overview of 25 types of closing mechanisms in chronological order. Each type is accompanied by a schematic drawing of its function. And all of these are shown in use, too, as part of a jewel.

The book features hundreds of pieces of jewellery, dating from prehistory to high-end jewellery of our day and age. You will see museum pieces from archaeological museums as well as contemporary designs and everything in between: think Etruscan gold to Van Cleef and Arpels.

I loved to see the intricacy and clever design of jewellery closing devices throughout history. And because they are presented in such a wide time range, this book allows you to appreciate the originality and creativity that jewellery designers managed to come up with, time and again. A clasp can be part of the design itself, the eye-catching element in the centre or the invisible, innovative solution to wearing a jewel safely and securely.

Clasps to study and understand

This is a wonderfully illustrated book which both jewellery historians and jewellery designers will love. It presents a wide overview of types of clasps and it offers a gorgeous selection of jewellery to admire. Many of which you will see photographed in this detail of their closing mechanism for the first time! This really helps in understanding how a jewel is constructed, or, when you’re admiring a painting or an old photograph, to get some idea on how a jewel is worn. A lot of work went into compiling this book, and I am sure you will appreciate this encyclopaedic overview. For me, this is definitely a reference book that I will pull out often!

More information on Le Fermoir en Bijouterie/Clasps

French title: Le Fermoir en Bijouterie. 4000 ans d’histoires.

English title: Clasps. 4,000 years of fasteners in jewellery.

By Anna Tabakhova, 2019. 283 pages, full colour, in either French or English.

Published by Editions Terracol: click here for the English version, and click here for the French version.

Available with the publisher, online and in well-sorted bookstores.

I purchased the French book in the museum shop of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

—

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More book reviews of jewellery books? Browse them all here!

Never miss a thing on jewellery news? Join the Jewellery List and find them in your inbox each month!

Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East!

—

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. 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.

Making their mark

Making their mark

by | Museums & Exhibitions

Women silversmiths from Oman

Making their mark

Oman is home to a long history of silversmithing. And like in so many parts of the world, traditional jewellery started to be worn less from the 1960s and 70s onwards. Much of it was sold off, and replaced with gold jewellery. As a result, knowledge of the craft and workmanship in creating traditional jewellery dwindled as well. The exposition ‘Making their Mark: women silversmiths from Oman’ in the British Museum highlights a revival in traditional silversmithing. And not any revival: this silversmithing is done by women, researched by women, and presented by women.

Silver bracelet made by Tuful Ramadan, in the exhibition 'Making their Mark: women silversmiths from Oman' in the British Museum

Silversmithing: voices of creators

Central to the exhibition is the work of three female silversmiths. It is not often we get the opportunity to hear from craftspeople themselves, as most research focuses on the wearers. But what of the people who created and made the jewellery? The research project has carried out numerous interviews over several years. The three silversmiths in this exhibition represent three generations: Tuful Ramadan was born in 1949, and sadly passed away in 2021, Mahfouda al-Balushi was born in 1965, and Fatma al-Najjar is from 1992.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Fatma in person at the museum, where she shared her personal experiences and journey in becoming the gifted jewellery designer she is today. While she is still on the path of becoming a silversmith herself, she already designs jewellery with her own brand RAHINA for wearers of today, drawing inspiration from the long history of Omani silver jewellery.

The exhibition shows a pair of earrings and a belt she designed, and when we met, she was wearing a pair of gorgeous, playful silver earrings that jingled along as we made our way through the museum.

For Tuful, picking up the skills of silversmithing was partly family business (she married into a family of silversmithing), and partly out of necessity: after her husband died when she was in her twenties, creating and selling silver jewellery formed her income.

Her passion for the craft resulted in her being awarded several prizes, and the quote printed on the wall reveals how she regarded herself as a woman silversmith; ‘Accuracy is in a woman’s nature. A man also works well, but women are known for making delicate objects’. And indeed, the bracelet in the exhibition is made of dainty, delicate, and incredibly precise chainwork: I loved it.

Mahfouda creates silver attributes and accessories for men. She learned the craft from her father, and designed the most beautiful leather belts for silver daggers (khanjar) that Omani men wear on festive occasions. All of these are made by hand, as are the sheaths and handles of the daggers themselves.

You can hear and see the personal histories of these women, too: the exhibition includes videos of all three silversmiths. A mannequin dressed in dress and silver jewellery from Dhofar provides reference to traditional jewellery all three silversmiths draw their inspiration from; I included an image at the bottom of this post, so keep on reading!

An in-depth look at jewellery: the power of science

The exhibition does more than just showcase jewellery, though. What I found particularly exciting is the scientific research that was part and parcel of this project from the start. Fatma and I were shown around the museum labs by Dr. Aude Mongiatti, where we could see with our own eyes which huge research potential beyond the stylistic and art historian scientific analyses have to offer (and you know I’m always up for looking at jewellery in context!).

Silver earrings created by Fatma al Najjar of RAHINA jewellery, Oman.

Looking at jewellery through a microscope reveals the variety in techniques applied by the silversmiths, and looking beyond the surface of an object tells us more about the composition of the silver and the way it has been handled. With three generations of silversmiths and the museum’s own collection, this opens up exciting new avenues to see how techniques were passed on, developed and adapted over the course of time.

For me personally, this was an eye-opener in terms of research questions I did not even know I had. Of course I am aware of scientific research methods in general, but when it comes to practical uses my technical savvy goes as far as successfully operating a microwave. Having an actual scientist show me in great detail which possibilities exist, and how these may increase our understanding of objects, was mind-blowing and incredibly inspiring!

Making their mark: jewellery research

The exhibition itself is relatively small, but do not be fooled by the size of the room alone. There is a world of generational knowledge, scientific research and heritage in here. The project itself is also run by women, who each bring their own expertise to the table.

Dr. Aude Mongiatti is a scientist, Moza Sulaiman al-Wardi is in charge of the Oman Across Ages Museum in Oman, Marcia Stegath Dorr has decades of experience in Omani heritage, and Dr. Fahmida Suleman is a specialist in ethnography and Islamic art and culture. Together with the silversmiths, they set out to approach the silver heritage of Oman from all avenues: from the molecular to the emotional, from the economic to the meaningful. And in doing so, I believe they set a new standard for ethnographic jewellery research.

This project is a brilliant crossover between museum jewellery and living jewellery, between scholars, scientists and creators, between institutions and communities, between the past and the future. It illustrates how jewellery is never static and may hold different meanings for different people over time.

The title ‘Making their mark’ may be more aptly chosen than the makers realized, and I hope to see many more of collaborations like these in the future!

Detail of Dhofari silver jewellery from Oman.

Where to find more on the exhibition ‘Making their mark: women silversmiths from Oman’?

The exhibition is on show in the British Museum until December 17, 2023. More information can be found on the museum’s website here.

An online talk on this project is available on the YouTube-channel of the British-Omani Society here.

I visited the exhibition on November 2 on my own initiative, without being required to write this blog: I just love sharing something good when I see it!

—

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa? Browse the jewellery blog here!

Never miss a thing on jewellery news? Join the Jewellery List and find them in your inbox each month!

Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery you love!

—

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. 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.