Ancient Jewellery

See also: Ancient Jewellery: Introduction - Middle Eastern Jewellery - Egyptian Jewellery - Eastern Mediterranean & European Jewellery -Minoan Jewellery - Greek Jewellery - Roman Jewellery - Byzantine Jewellery - Eastern European & Near Eastern Jewellery

Medieval Jewellery

After the fall of Rome, the Roman jewellers' traditions remained in general use in medieval jewellery. Barbarian tribes from eastern Europe combined early and late Roman traditions in jewellery as well as introducing their own variations, including the development of a circular fibula brooch, such as have been found in France and Scandinavia.

These penannular brooches, a ring with a pin held in place by the weight of the cloth it pierced, were common items of medieval jewellery in Ireland and Celtic Britain. The commonest Celtic motifs were stylised animals and intricate interlacing.

A new technique in medieval jewellery was the setting of slices of garnet into metal cells in the general manner of . These pieces include buckles and clasps.

Within medieval jewellery from the 11th century onwards, brooches were usually penannular rings, and pendants were chased or enamelled crucifixes or other religious motifs often containing a holy relic.

 

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(alternative spelling: Mediaeval jewellery, Medieval jewelry, Mediaeval jewlry)