| Religious jewelry |
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Intro
From ancient times, jewelry has been used in every culture worldwide. Mostly used for decorative purposes, jewelry has other purposes like representing social status like marital status and age, political and religious beliefs. One of the initial uses of jewelry was to show the individual’s religious attachment. Almost all the world cultures use various religious jewelry representing common symbols representing their religious beliefs.
Jewels have now become a way of fashion to display ones religious faith with elegance and style. Religious jewels have a large market in the jewelry industry with all its creative variation. Religious jewelry include varied traditional items like rosaries, small beaded bracelets, cross, and modern jewelry items like bracelets, pendants, brooch pins, earrings, chains, necklaces, medals and key chains and many more stylish jewelry pieces that show individuals religious belief.
Religious jewelry in various cultures
Other than the decorative purposes jewelry is frequently used, the roots of jewelry have a deeper spiritual meaning in various cultures. Ancient civilizations and religions used religious ornaments to symbolize their beliefs and as a way of life. We can realize the importance of these religious ornaments in other cultures and recognize the greater symbolic uses of the jewelry. The followers of many faiths including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism use religious jewels in various ways. Hinduism uses various religious motifs symbolizing deities such as Ganesha. Prayer boxes are used in Hindu faith and it may be used to place a sacred Rudraksha seed. Religious ornaments that integrate religious symbols into their designs, such as the Christian cross, and religious teachers like Buddha, praying hands, the Om symbol or the Tibetan prayer wheel are used extensively as religious symbols.
Egyptian religious jewelry
Ancient Egypt has in its culture a variety of religious ornaments that symbolically represents good luck, eternal life and healing. These symbols range from motifs of lotus, snake, eagle, beetle and the eye. As religious jewels were also representing social and political status they were extravagantly made of gold and semi-precious stones and were worn by both men and women.
During the Roman era, Christian symbols were used in Egyptian religious jewels. They were also made of cheaper materials for easy accessibility. Since Islam forbids men from wearing gold jewelry, silver became more popular in making various religious ornaments in Egypt. Religious ornaments are widely used in Egypt even in modern times.
Roman Christianity and Religious Jewelry
During the Roman Empire, several popular symbols were created that are still used in modern Christian jewelry. These symbols include the rosary, which are prayer beads. Roman Christian world introduced these prayer beads to the other cultures. World religions like Islam and Buddhist faith uses these beads. Rosary beads are used extensively in the Catholic Church as well. The cross is a symbol of God\'s love and a reminder of Christ\'s agony is the most popular religious ornament in the world.
Catholic crucifix
The Catholic crucifix is the ultimate symbol of the reminder of Christ\'s sacrifice and love for the humankind. This cross has the bleeding carcass of Jesus representing the ultimate sacrifice. This is one of the most popular religious symbols and is the strongest symbol of faith in Christ. Celtic cross jewelry symbolizes Christianity in visually stunning representations. This cross has intricate designs or animal depictions carved onto the cross itself and a circle surrounding the crosspieces.
Native American Jewelry
Native American religious jewelry played a significant role in religious ceremonies. They represented status and were a symbol of nature. This jewelry was made using minerals and metals like silver. Natural materials like feathers were also used along with turquoise shells, beads and other symbols from nature. During ceremony and festival seasons, the people would take care to wear religious ornaments made from different materials in various colors, which marks the special mood of that particular event. The jewelry also represents the different stages of life in an individual like marriage or puberty. |
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