A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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Comments
What a lovely piece, Eva! I like it a lot.
wow what a transition!
Thank you Sarah and Betty, it is really a Little Beauty.
Lovely pendant Eva, I can see it on a long chain. Wouldn't it be too heavy for an eardrop?
Thanks Ingrid, no, it is very light and small. much lighter than most my other earrings. What surprises me since quite some time is, that Gold seems to oxidate too. My Swiss Gold jewellery never does, regardless how Long I do not use it. But it seems e.g. the Ethiopian Gold oxidates a lot (perhaps it has something to do with the grade of Gold?) and also this Piece from Mali.
The pendant looks so solid,I am surprised about its weight. About the oxidation. Do you mean the guilded pieces? Because gold jewellery from Ethiopia does not tarnish even if it is not worn for several years. Even the antique Murias keep their color and shine. Ethiopian gold is either 18KT or 22KT from years back (which are vert yellow of color)
I have the guilded telsums, and the Tigrai Kobos(fillegree ring like pendants and shield types) had them in the cupboard untouched for 15 years and more kept their color. And some are guilded on different material like good silver or a very low alloy but they have not oxidised.
Like your pendant isn.t that more dirt you have cleaned than oxidation? When you store your pieces wrap them in tissue or even a proper closed plastic bags or boxes keeps them away from the air and will stay as you put them. It is a mystery for me why it should oxidise be it pure gold or guilded pieces.
thanks Ingrid for your comment. I really do not know, but I had several guilded pieces from various countries that had a lot of oxidation (Greenspan) on them. I do not know why, perhaps the Gold was too low or the oxidation is from the silver underneath. Or it is other dirt as you said. I have some 14-18 carat Swiss Gold jewellery that i have not worn some 10-15 years, and they always stay nice. To me the green dirt on the old Gold (or guilded pieces) from Africa is somehow very confusing because I also thought that Gold does not oxidate. But perhaps it is the silver or some other greenish dirt.
22 kt would be very soft Gold, usually too soft for jewellery, therefore it is mostly blended with some other metal to make it harder (18 kt is normally a very good Gold). Perhaps the oxidation Comes from the silver underneath.
I agree Eva, the oxidation that may develop on gilded pieces comes from the silver or base metal on which the gilding has been applied. Very often the layer of gold is very, very thin, or has worn of, causing thus revealing the metal underneath which is then exposed to air and will oxidise.
Gold does not oxidise to my knowledge - that's why all the lovely gold jewellery in burial sites etc. is often often astonishingly well-preserved even after thousands of years (I am thinking, for example about Scythian gold...)
Anyway... very, very lovely little pendant!
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