Rare Jewelry Exhibit in Boston
Jewelry has been used by women and men for thousands of years and the styles are always changing. You never know when the trends will switch, but there are certainly some designs that have stood the test of time, usually because they are elegant and simple, but other times because they are so stunning and timeless that you cannot dent the fact that they are beautiful. There have been many trends and some jewelry designs that were in style hundreds of years ago are now in style again. It seems that designs come back and are embraced, maybe there are slight changes, but the overall feel of the design remains the same. This is especially interesting when discussing designs from the turn of the last century. Women and men were so much classier back then, so it is kind of surprising to see some of the more conservative designs on their way back into favor. The Faberge egg pendant is making its way back into the design pool and although it is very costly, there is clear interest in designs like that right now.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston now has an exhibit that encompasses 6,000 years of jewelry history. The fact that jewelry even existed that long ago is a staggering fact and one that cannot be ignored, especially when speaking of history. The exhibit includes pieces from Egyptian times, where crystals and gold were used by kings and queens. They often felt that these beautiful items held magical powers and there is even one piece that has a small scroll that has images and text that are said to be magical in nature. There is also brooch and earring set worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of our sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln. She originally bought the set for over $3,000, but later had to sell it after the famous assassination. That is something to behold and is really historic. To think she may have been wearing the set when he was killed is an amazing thought. These are parts of our history as humans and are very important to us all, not just those interested in jewelry history. The exhibit is one of the few that cover such a wide period of time and includes such amazing, rarely seen designs. The exhibit will run through November 2012 and can be seen for a nominal price.
Jewelry can beautiful, but it can also be very interesting and it is important to include jewelry from the past as well as jewelry that has been worn in ancient times. It is easier to understand and relate to these times when we see what was popular in those times. Obviously, gold and diamonds were very popular hundreds of years ago as they are now, so we can see how much has and has not changed over the years. Technology has changed the way we produce jewelry, but the basic sentiment seems to be the same, pretty things are to be worn and displayed, not tucked away in a closet or cave.
