What is ‘research’?

What is ‘research’?

by | Opinion

learning about jewellery

What is ‘research’?

Updated Jan 9, 2024

Giving it to you straight: searching online for half an hour is not ‘research’.

Because as I wrote earlier, your online search results are first of all determined by the language you use to search in (see more about that and how to navigate languages here). Second, the results shown to you are filtered themselves, based on popularity…so you see how that is scratching the surface of everything there is to explore.

Research is the many years spent comparing, finding parallels, diving deep into the cultural background of adornment, speaking with original wearers, learning vernacular names and oral histories, understanding how adornment functions in the world that it comes from.

Don’t get me wrong, the digital world is an excellent place to start! After all, that is where you found me, and there are many platforms and sites that we can all benefit from. My point is that this beautiful online world should be a starting point, there is much more out there. So, here are 5 pointers.

Jewellery research: visit museums and galleries

If you can at all, visit museums and galleries. This is a great way to see many different pieces, from the perfect to the ordinary, and to study techniques and materials used.

An advantage of galleries is that many owners will let you handle pieces, so you can get a feel for their weight and execution. I have learned so much sitting on gallery floors! (it’s not that they don’t offer chairs….somehow I always end up sitting on the floor, surrounded by jewellery)

Another excellent way to learn is to visit other collectors: nothing beats a shared passion for jewellery.

Jewellery research: read

Reading articles and books is so incredibly important, especially scholarly ones. Now these latter are notoriously hard to get by, although more and more academic publishers are seeing the benefits of open access publishing. Look for sources on sites like academia.edu: with a free account, there is much to be found here.

Check your local library, and if you are living near a university, see if their library offers access to a reading room – they probably won’t let you take books home, but some universities actually welcome a larger audience. Museum libraries are a great resource, too!

Jewellery research: read about more than just jewellery

Bear with me: reading about more than jewellery does make sense. After all, jewellery is part of the society that produced it, so diving into its world will help you understand your jewellery better.

When I was preparing my online courses, I found myself reading everything from micro-economic developments to ancient stargazing, and from ancient history to marriage dynamics. Honestly, it’s fascinating!

Jewellery research: talk with people

Attend lectures, workshops, seminars….and ask questions! There are so many possibilities these days, both online and offline, to speak with experts in the field of jewellery.

Attending talks by curators, historians or other experts can provide valuable insights, and if these are live-events, you get to meet other jewellery enthousiasts, too!

But even more important is to talk with people from the communities that this jewellery is part of. Ask, listen, and learn what this jewellery means to its original community.

Jewellery research: yes…do use online resources

That’s what they’re here for! My advice however would be to be aware of the credibility of the source you’re using: who is the author? Is there any form of reference backing up claims? Do you keep finding the same tidbit of information over and over again? That almost certainly points to copy-paste behaviour to fill a blog quickly, or worse, the use of an AI like ChatGPT – you may want to dig a little deeper.

Jewellery research: a neverending story

Finally, research is an ongoing process. It literally never ends. Your views may change as new information surfaces, and your understanding of jewellery may shift continously. But that, in my view, is the beauty of it: I’ve been in this field for over 25 years now and still learn something new every day!

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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.

Improve your search results

Improve your search results

by | Tips for collectors

how to improve your search results

Jewellery search terms

Updated Jan 18, 2024

There is a world of information available on jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as an abundance of photographs and pictures. But how to find these? Here are my two main tips, and a resource to help you get started!

Tip 1: expand your search beyond English

To get better search results, a first must is expanding your search terms beyond English. Let me explain (and of course I’ve got you covered!)

What are jewellery items actually called in Arabic or Tamazight, for example? Additionally, there is an entire world of German, French, Italian and Spanish museums and collectors, who have online databases available or share their items on platforms such as Pinterest. Getting a handle on these helps you expand your search results.

And there is a certain logic behind it, too.

Understanding the world behind search terms

Ethnic jewellery items have ended up in a variety of countries, and it’s here that expanding your search terms beyond English comes into view.

Not just because jewellery items were sold to Western people, but also because Western languages remained in use in occupied countries.

Egyptian antiquaries, their country for a long time having been controlled by the British, offer their wares mainly in English, while French is the predominant Western language in the Maghreb. So you see how even something as seemingly innocent as jewellery search terms reflects colonial structures, something to be actively aware of.

Knowing all this means you can start to use search terms strategically to gain an overview beyond language barriers that have since divided the information available on this jewellery. The pieces themselves have been scattered around several continents and their stories are told in different languages: adopting an integral approach in your research is essential.

Tip 2: spelling variations

The other trick is to take spelling variations into account. Say what?  I promise it makes total sense!

The original names of things are in another language entirely: Arabic, Tamazight, Hebrew…These languages have their own script and their own particular sounds. When they are rendered phonetically in a Western language, that invariably results in a gazillion ways to spell a word.

Take the Arabic word for ‘market’, for example. You’ll find it as souk, souq, suq, suk, soek, and so on. The well-known hand amulet is known as hamsa, khamsa, chamsa, khoumsa, khmissa….you get the idea.

Try fiddling around with spelling variations: you might be surprised at the difference in results!

And like I said… I’ve got you covered!

Search terms in 7 languages? Yes please!

To help you get started with exploring the world of jewellery in other languages, I have compiled a free resource of basic jewellery terms in 7 languages. With an introduction and pointers as to spelling variations, and a series of sheets to create your own cheat sheet. These will get you on your way to see search results that searching in one language would never present: find it here!

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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.

Can I wear ethnic jewellery?

Can I wear ethnic jewellery?

by | Opinion

appropriation or exchange

Can I wear jewellery from other cultures?

Updated Jan 11, 2024

This is a question I get a lot: from dancers, from jewellery collectors, from people interested in other cultures. And the follow-up question is often ‘….or is that cultural appropriation?’In this article, I’ll give you three pointers to reach an informed decision for yourself.

I also get asked ‘why does this matter? It’s simply cultural exchange!’ – well, yes and no. There is a difference between the two, and, being a historian, I’d like to explore that, too. Because that difference is very relevant to how we look at jewellery from other cultures.

So here we go!

Awareness of cultural appropriation in jewellery

Obviously, being aware of cultural appropriation is extremely relevant when working with heritage of other people, and that includes jewellery. But what is, and what is not, cultural appropriation is the subject of ongoing debate.

There are many aspects to cultural appropriation that need to be considered, and there is not a single, straightforward, open-and-shut definition of this complex reality. [1] The point where cultural exchange turns into cultural appropriation, is often oversimplified by presenting these two concepts as equal: ‘People using elements from other cultures is normal. Just look at history!’

I feel that is cutting corners, and so I’d like to explore that statement a little further.

Historic exchange of jewellery styles

Let me be clear: throughout history, cultures have always assimilated elements from others. I talk at length about cultural exchange and influences over the course of millennia in the e-course on History myself for example, and it is actually one of the elements of adornment and dress that I enjoy the most.

Jewellery is a visual testimony to exchange and adaptations, and it is through jewellery that we can literally see how cultures influenced each other. If we never assimilated anything from other cultures, we would probably still be stuck in prehistory.

Change and exchange are normal. They are the one constant throughout millennia of human cultural expressions.

But in my opinion, that is not what cultural appropriation is.

How to recognize cultural exchange

When you look at history, you’ll see that cultural exchange often is for the long run. An assimilated element is here to stay: it becomes fully engrained in the other culture. As such, it may change form, meaning and significance on the long term.

That may be as status symbol at first (‘look what exciting new material I have!’) [2] or hesitantly (‘this might be the fashion of those new people, but I’m not having any of it’)

Cultural exchange does not even have to come about peacefully: it’s not all trade, commerce and marriage, but also wars, conquest and colonization.

Whatever the many machinations of cultural exchange, the end result is often that the assimilated element has become an integral, living and changing part of its new culture, so much so that it in turn may be passed on to yet another culture. Like jeans, or the paisley motif.

How to recognize cultural appropriation

Cultural appropriation, on the other hand, is using something from another culture fleetingly. There are four basic symptoms to recognize this.

1 Short term. One element is taken out of its context and used on a temporary basis, like a pattern in a seasonal fashion collection. It never becomes an integral, living and changing part of its new culture. Like Madonna wearing Amazigh attire for her birthday party: a single occasion without investment in amplifying Amazigh voices (at least, that I know of!).

2 Unequal power dynamic. The party that takes the element, has a bigger platform and more resources than to the party that it is taken from. Think major brands, popstars, but also countries: rebranding heritage dress and adornment to fit a new narrative is a very vicious way of silencing and erasing the culture of entire populations.

3 Profit. There is usually a very clear element of profit for one party. That can be exposure, but of course clearly also financial profit.

4 No fair share or credit. The party that the element is taken from, is not credited, consulted, or sharing in the profit or exposure that the other party generates.

Cultural appropriation is purposefully taking an aspect of another culture to use that for one’s own gain, without credit or a firm grasp on what this actually means in and to its original culture. It is performative only, not intrinsically meaningful.

That is why it is offensive and hurtful: it reduces the values of an entire culture to a quick and profitable fashion or performance statement. It gets even worse when the element is misattributed to another people entirely. More about that is here.

Wearing jewellery from other cultures is not automatically ‘cultural exchange’.

In some cases, the ‘historical cultural exchange’ argument is actually enabling a harmful power dynamic to continue. It’s washing over a deliberate form of capitalizing with an acceptable varnish of culture: it’s historic, so it’s fine.

To me, that is a disregard of history itself. First, there are so many examples of historic realities that are anything but fine. And second, an oversimplification like this shows a lack of understanding of historic processes.

But take note: that argument is valid in the other direction as well.

Not everything adopted from another culture is automatically ‘appropriated’, either: those slow wheels of history are still turning. When cultures get in contact with each other (and we are now more than ever, through social media and the Internet, but also through migration), they will slowly and inevitably absorb elements from one another.

The point is to keep a watchful eye out for fleeting usurpation in an unequal power dynamic with profits flowing in one direction only.

And still, the lines between exchange, appropriation and appreciation are blurred. Cultural appropriation is a multi-faceted topic with many layers. That does not make it any easier, but it should not be brushed aside with a simple ‘it’s the way of history’.

So, can I wear jewellery from other cultures? 

Here are three pointers to make an informed decision.

Is it not authentic, but newly made and inspired by other cultures? Ask if the culture that the jewellery is based on, is acknowledged, shares in the profit or has been compensated for their collaboration in the design. This is particularly relevant for larger brands: small businesses will usually tell you what their core values are and where their cultural inspiration comes from. (although, be advised there are small businesses that shamelessly steal designs from online images, so it never hurts to ask!)

Is it authentic and clearly from a particular culture? Consider your pieces as part of that larger cultural context. Inform yourself about the culture this jewellery comes from as well as its cultural significance. If you’re buying jewellery from a seller in its culture of origin, ask after its meaning, its name and its history.

Treat jewellery respectfully. This is a total no-brainer, but you don’t want to be wearing antique jewellery carrying religious texts pinned on your butt, for example. Basically, you’d want your grandmother’s personal items being treated with love and respect, too, after all, and that is no different for other people’s grandmothers.

With awareness and acknowledgement of the culture your pieces come from, understanding their cultural significance and using your platforms to be vocal about both, you can do both: admire and celebrate beautiful pieces and support and amplify the voices of communities whose heritage this is!

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Looking for background on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – from dowry jewellery to amulets, there is so much available on the world of jewellery from North Africa & Southwest Asia!

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References

[1] An excellent start is this blog, or this one

[2] Wolfgang Grulke shows such incorporation in his book Adorned by Nature

See also this two-part blog by Jenna Nordman on intellectual property and commercial cultural appropriation.

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.

How to store ethnic silver

How to store ethnic silver

by | Tips for collectors

four tips

How to store ethnic silver: 4 proven methods

Updated Jan 11, 2024

How do I store my traditional jewellery from the Middle East? That’s a question I get a lot, and definitely a field I made mistakes in myself. So I’m sharing four proven methods of what works, and what does not work: let’s get to it!

Storing silver jewellery: what you should know first

Before we get to tucking away your collection safely, there are a few things to know about silver itself.

Silver tarnishes easily: when exposed to air and moisture, but there are many other sources that cause a chemical reaction in the silver. That includes people: I’m sure you know several people whose silver jewellery turns dark after a day of wearing, and others whose silver shines even brighter after that same day!  

It’s also a relatively soft material that scratches and dents faster than you might like, and vintage silver items are no different. Storing and handling silver always should come with the protection of your items in mind. So here are 4 tips to start storing your silver jewellery in an optimal way!

Storing traditional silver: keep your pieces separate

Store each piece individually and make sure it does not rub against other items. This can be achieved in the simplest way by just wrapping them in acid-free tissue paper, anti-tarnish paper or soft cloth (but not wool).

Larger items, such as complete sets of fibulas for example, can be wrapped in bubble plastic, again taking care that the individual fibulas are kept from direct contact.

Make sure your pieces are clean and dry

If you wear your vintage jewellery, make sure it is clean and dry before you store your items away. Sweat and skin contact can damage silver in the long run, so wipe them off and make sure they are dry before storing them.

The same goes for when they have just been cleaned: wait until they are completely dry before storing them, or better, have a professional clean them instead. More about cleaning silver is here.

Keep your silver pieces locked away from air

Store them in an airtight box or individual zip pouches. Zip pouches come in many sizes: choose the size that fits your piece snugly, but gives it room to move a little. Wrap your pieces in acid free paper before putting them into a zip pouch: the pouch itself may contain abrasive materials that could scratch your silver.

Airtight boxes don’t have to be anything fancy, but can simply be the type of box you store food in (refridgerator boxes, but also cookiejars work well – make sure they have no rubber bands, though).

Adding silica gel (those little packages that come with new shoes, handbags and other leather products) or activated charcoal will absorb moisture and keep your silver from tarnishing.

Avoid direct contact of these materials with your silver, though: make sure the packaging is not damaged.

 … and don’t do this

Do not wrap your silver in pages torn from newspapers or magazines: both the ink and the paper will harm it. The same goes for the use of rubber bands (no bundling bracelets together using rubber bands, please)

Those rustic looking, uncoated wooden boxes that make for excellent atmospheric photos are not as fantastic for storing silver, either, unless it is packaged in zip pouches. That also applies to wooden chests of drawers, cabinets and cupboards: avoid direct contact, and even then, check regularly.

Wool also contains agents that may react with silver: that explains why silver elements on a woolen headdress for example turn dark every so often.

Taking care to store your silver properly will go a long way in helping you enjoy your collection for years to come!

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More tips on organizing your collection of silver jewellery? Find them all here!

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References

Learn more about silver tarnishing and how to avoid it here

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.

How to clean ethnic silver

How to clean ethnic silver

by | Tips for collectors

three methods

How to clean ethnic silver

Updated Jan 10, 2024

How to clean ethnic silver jewellery? And should silver even be cleaned in the first place? This article gives 3 practical methods – and what mistakes to avoid!

Should I clean ethnic silver jewellery?

Jumping right in here: that dull layer with which you found it in that antique store or in that dusty market stall…? That is not ‘authentic’ or ‘original’: the previous wearer would have taken pride in her jewellery glinting in the sunlight. Wearing it on a daily basis would itself have contributed to that shine. So yes, I do recommend to clean your jewellery.

Also, that dark coating you may have found it with, is not ‘patina’: this is just plain dirt. Seeing people claim that you should not clean darkened, dusty silver because of its ‘patina’ just makes me want to scream, in all honesty. Such lack of insight is actually endangering the quality of your jewellery.

Over-cleaning, however, should be avoided. Once the major layers of dirt and grime have been removed, a little tarnish actually protects your silver. Every time you clean it, you remove just the tiniest bit of the surface, leaving your silver exposed to another ‘tarnish-attack’.

You will want to keep an eye on how it develops, but don’t clean it too often.

And finally: proper cleaning of a heritage item is a professional’s job. You don’t attempt to restore a painting by yourself, either, right? The above considerations by the way all stem from my experience in the museum world. That includes the fabulous work restorers do, and how wrong choices regarding object maintenance gives them nightmares.

In any case: when you do need to clean silver, here are 3 methods that you can use at home, along with their advantages and disadvantages.

Before you start cleaning your ethnic jewellery…

…read this, if you haven’t already. There are a few things to consider before cleaning, that have to do with the silver content of your jewellery, loss of information and proper documentation.

The tips I’m sharing with you below are relevant to jewellery entirely made of good silver. If your jewellery contains any other materials such as wood, enamel, coral, beads, or is of an unknown alloy, bring it to a professional instead.

Another check to do before you start cleaning is the construction of the piece. Hollow pieces, such as amulet containers or anklets, should not be in contact with water: when water gets in, it is very difficult to get out and it may damage your piece from the inside out. For these, I recommend seeking help of a professional cleaner, too.

Because as I said earlier, cleaning and restoring jewellery is an actual profession. It requires years of study and a serious understanding of chemistry, metallurgy, gemmology and much more.

Anything more complex than a solid silver piece benefits from the care of a professional, so if you do own complex or composite pieces, or are having doubts whether your should attempt to clean anything yourself: do yourself a favour and treat your jewellery to a spa day with someone who knows what they’re doing. Ok?

Method 1: cleaning cloth

Silver can show discoloration after a while. It gets a little duller, and may show a yellowish or dark hue. This is easily remedied by buffing it with a silver cleaning cloth: all you do is rub firmly. Usually when your fingers start to hurt, this is a good sign you’re well on your way and you will see the silver surface return to its soft shimmer. This is sufficient for most jewellery as part of your regular upkeep.

Pro: easy to do

Con: basically nothing, although those fingers hurting is real

Method 2: polishing

When silver has turned black, you may need to polish it using an agent. Precipitated chalk works wonders. The chalk needs to be mixed with water to create a thick paste. Start with three teaspoons of chalk and add a quarter to half a teaspoon of water, stir the water in and continue to add small amounts of water as much as needed until you have a paste.

Rub the paste on the silver using a cotton pad (or a super soft toothbrush, like for babies, for intricate silverwork such as granulation) and gently polish the surface. After polishing, rinse the object thoroughly and make sure no dried chalk is left.

This method is unsuitable for hollow objects, as the rinsing may cause water and chalk residu to end up inside your ornament. Bring these to a professional.

Pro: works really wel

Con: chalk needs to be extremely finely ground to avoid scratching, your brush may also cause scratching, intricate designs need to be rinsed thoroughly, can not be used on hollow objects. Removes a bit of the surface: it will tarnish faster if not stored well.

Method 3: baking soda

The black tarnish can also be removed by submerging it in a baking soda bath. This reverses the process that caused the tarnishing.

Line a bowl with aluminum foil, add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, sprinkle in some salt and add boiling water. When the water calms down after bubbling, submerge your silver items and let soak.

Again: do not use this method on items that contain anything else than silver, like beads, coral, enamel etcetera, or on hollow pieces.

Once you put your item in, you will see it cleaning up within seconds. Take the silver out as soon as the tarnish disappears (use gloves!), rinse under lukewarm water, dry thoroughly with a soft cloth and polish with a polishing cloth.

Pro: cleans very fast 

Con: unsuitable for hollow objects, pieces you don’t know the silver content of, and pieces with anything else than silver. Removes a bit of the surface: it will tarnish faster if not stored well.

Cleaning ethnic jewellery: keep track of what you did

And finally, make a note of your cleaning treatment in your object files. What you will want to note here are the date and the type of treatment, and if needed a before-and-after picture. This will help you keep up with  your routine checks on your collection: silver should be polished as little as possible, and a cleaning log helps to keep track!

Cleaning ethnic silver jewellery: the round-up

So, as you see, the decision to clean ethnic jewellery is one that requires some thought. Don’t start overcleaning it, but don’t let it get too dirty, either. One thing is certain: leaving it grimy is not authentic, and even outright damaging to your jewellery. And when in doubt, bring your jewellery to a professional restorer – this way, you’ll have the best of both worlds!

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References

Read more here on treatment of silver and copper alloy objects (opens a pdf)

 

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.