Silver was one of the earliest metals worked to create bodily adornment.
I find it fascinating and exciting that a lot of the ancient sterling silver jewelry depicted animals. It makes sense, because ancient people had to be in tune with their environment in order to survive. I love to make jewelry as diverse as busy little silver rat pendants and detailed silver butterfly earrings, so I completely understand their interest in all kinds of animals.
Between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, fantastic representations of sterling silver equine pendants were already being crafted by nomadic people from China. These pieces are beautiful- the horses have a wonderfully wild look. I imagine the ponies ridden by the early Mongolian people weren’t completely domesticated. I wonder what those people would think about my rather tame Quarter horse jewelry earrings!
I found a picture of a gorgeous early Italian sterling silver brooch representing a bird of prey. There is so much going on in this sterling silver pin. It’s full of geometric shapes, snake like bodies twisting through the design and even some masks in profile. When I designed my majestic bald eagle pin-pendant I had some inspiration from my own life to draw from.
I do believe that ancient jewelry represented something very spiritual to both the artisan and the wearer. I’ve heard it theorized that even the word “charm” goes back to a time when jewelry was thought to have magical properties. I think the whimsical elephant charm seems to have its own magic.
Not that I really think my own sterling silver pendants or charms have magical properties, but when I create something I work until I feel the piece actually communicates what I have in mind for it. In other words, I have to be satisfied with the end result or it won’t be cast.
I think that was true for the ancient artists as well. I was just looking at a photograph of some Russian 12th century sterling silver earrings with a griffin motif on them. Like my own penguin sterling silver earrings, each one is slightly different from the other, a sure way to know the original was a hand made design. To me, there is beauty in the slight irregularity of an artist’s craft.
Sterling silver brooches, or pins, were so popular in the 13th and 14th century in England and Scotland that many have been found in hoards. The ones I’ve seen have been very simple circular designs- some with inlay. The heart is another meaningful shape- I loved creating the pretty heart-rose pendant – perfect for someone you love.
I can understand the appeal of silver pins. One of the reasons I love to make pins in sterling silver is I can work a little larger than when I’m creating a smaller design for, say, a pair of earrings. My sterling silver pug pin is a good example of this.
I sometimes wonder if hundreds of years from now some of my silver jewelry will appear in a heavy coffee table book!