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Making Period Jewelry class handout

Ancientjewelrycoversawidevarietyofaestheticsandstyles.Althoughmostisbeyondthereachofabasicartisan,alargesubsectioncanbeauthenticallyrecreatedinamodernlivingroom.Withcarefullychosenmaterialsandapairofpliers,themorebasicartifactscanberecreatedbyintrepidSCAdianswithnopreviousjewelryexperience.Thegoalofthisclassistogetyoustartedmakingperiodjewelry.Whenyougethome,dosomeresearchintoYOURtimeandplace,andmakethat!MywebsitehasanexpandedpaperonMakingRomanJewelry(RomanaSum.com/papers).Ifyouneedhelpwithresearch,checkoutmyguideonthatsamepage,andclickon“Research&Documentation”ontherightcolumnforsomearticles.Onewaytogoistoreplicateindividualfinds.Youcanalsolookatalargenumberofpiecesinbooksandonmuseumwebsitesfromyourperiod,whichletsyouunderstandthataestheticandbeabletoinventjewelrythatwouldbecongruentwiththatculturalstyle.Note:Whenresearchingonline,painsmustbetakentovetallsourcescarefully.Forexample,manypieceslabeled“Roman”areapasticheofantiquitiesrestrung,remounted,andrearrangedwithlaterelements.ThiswasverypopularintheVictorianera,andcanevenbeseenfromotherwisetrustworthysiteslikeChristie’sauctionhouse.Acloseexaminationofclaspsandfindingscanusuallyferretoutthetruth.Materials Carnelian,pearls,andemeraldwereRomanfavorites.BetweenextantRomanjewelrypiecesandPliny’swriting,wealsoknowtheyhadpearl,opal,carnelian,chalcedony(anditsvariants,onyx,sardonyx,agate),sapphire,starsapphire,ruby,garnet,amethyst,bloodstone,coral,amber,obsidian,rockcrystal(quartz),tigereye,turquoise,tourmaline,topaz,malachite,lapislazuli,andanarrayofcolorsofjasper.1Bone,ivory,shell,horn,andglasswerealsousedinjewelry.Whensubstituting,considercolor,opacity,andshape.

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Stoneswerecutintodrums,bicones,spheres,tubes,andothercarvedshapes.Naturalcrystallinestructuresweresometimesdrilledandmounted.Basicfaceting2appearedinthe1stcentury.Inordertocreatemoreconvincing“straightfromthedig”Romanjewelry,whenpossibleIusestonesthatarehandshaped.Theslightlyirregularspheresaremoreauthenticlookingthanperfectlyroundmachinedbeads.TheRomansusedgoldinnaturalandrefinedalloys(combinationsofmetals).Bothcoinsandjewelryofmyperiodrun90-99%pure.3Iuseacombinationofbrassandhypoallergenicwireinagoldtone,focusingonyellowerwirethatmorecloselymatchesthepurityofthegoldoftheancientworld.Valuablegemnecklaceswereusuallystrungonmetalwire.Othershavebeenfoundwithorganicmaterialslikeflax,cotton,Egyptianreeds,andsinew.Evenanimalhair–horse,elephant,giraffe,andcow-wasused.

Techniques & Tools

Thissketch(Ogden,75)showsafewcommonRomantechniques,includingbothsolderingandwrappingofwire,tosecurebeads.Notetheinconsistencyinthenumberofcoilwraps.Forverticallystrungbeads,twists,loops,orsolderedbulbsonthebottomkeepsthebeadinplace.

Claspsfornecklaceswerecasthooks,orwirewrappedtoformhooks(Johns,100).

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Iusedroundnosedpliers,flatnosedpliers,andwiresnips.

First,bendthewire,usingtheround-nosedpliers(sothewirecurvesinsteadofcreasing),untilyouhavealoop.Then,holdingtheloopfirmlywiththosepliers,usetheflat-nosedpliers(foraprecisegrip)oryourfingerstowrapthewire1-2timesaroundtheneckjustbelowtheloop.Clipoffanyexcesswireandusetheflatplierstopinchtheendclosetotheneck,sothere’snopointybittosnag.Ifyourloopisirregular,putitontotheround-nosedpliersandpinchtoshapeit.Videoinstructionhere:http://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/videos/652tModerntechniqueslikebendingthewirearoundtheplierstomakeaperfectcircle,ormarkingtheplierswithasharpie,willensureidenticallengths.AncientRomanjewelryhasacharmingirregularitythatIliketomaintain.Ontheright4,thedanglesonthisobviouslyexpensivecameohave8,7,and10wirewraps.Likewise,theyweren’tparticularlypreciseintheirloopsizes.Onethingthatmakesmodernreplicasstandoutisthepost-industrialobsessionwithsymmetry.Ipreferamoreorganic,handmadeaesthetic,andfinditsproductsmoreconvincingasaperioditem.Inotherwords–RELAX–it’sokifit’ssloppy!

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Bracelet:

Awire-mountednecklaceofnaturalemeraldcrystals,fromtheMet(Left5).Below:Myrecreations.24gawireis

durableenoughtowearforanecklace,butforbraceletsIprefer22ga(thewireisthickerasthenumbersgetsmaller).The

hookclosureis20gawire.

1) Cutapieceof22gawireabout3”.Usingthetechniqueonthepreviouspage,makealargeloopandwrapthewiretosecureit.Thiswillbethelooppartoftheclasp.

2) Putabeadonthewire.3) Makeasecond,smallloopattheotherendandwrap.Trimexcess.Yourbeadisnowsecure.

4) Cutanother3”pieceof22gawire,andmakeasmallloop.Stringabead,andmakeasecondsmallloop.Beforeclosingit,connectittothesmallloopofyourfirstpiece.

5) Repeat#4untilthebraceletfitssnuglyaroundtheintendedwearer’swrist.

6) Cut4-5”of20gawire.Makeahookononeend,tuckingthepointedendin.Attheotherend,makealoopandattachittothesmallloopofthelastbeadsegmentyoumade.Cutawayanyexcess.

7) Checkoveryourbraceletforpokeyends.Usepliersorfilestofixthem.

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Earrings Dangling Earrings Forthedanglingstyleofearring,theseparatewiremountedelementsmoveindependently.Thatis,theearringisacollectionofdistinctsegments,notmultiplebeadsstackedonasinglewire.

6 7 8Below:Myrecreationsubstitutedcarneliansforthepearls,andaseedpearlfortheemerald.Ialsodidariffon#7,withanaventurinetube.

1) Usethetechniquefrompage4tomakealoopandwrap.

2) Stringyourbeadandmakeabottomloopsandwrap.

3) Useaball-headpinORmakeonebybendingatight,tinyloopinwire.Addyourbead.Securewithaloopandwrap,joiningwiththetopsegment.

4) GotoEarwiresection.

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Crotalia Crotalia(fromtheGreekwordforrattleorcastanets)arenamedforthejinglingnoisetheyproducewhenworn.Earringsofthistype,withtwoorthreependants,wereextremelypopularwithRomanladies.NumerousexampleshavebeenfoundatPompeiiandHerculaneum.Thetrickhereisgettingyourdanglesthesamelengthsotheyhangevenly.Wedon’tneedperfectionhere,buttakesometimewithit.

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1) Usingaball-headpin,threadabeadonandcreatealoop.Thesewon’tbeundermuchstress,soyoucanjustcutawaytheexcess.Ifyouprefer,hookthemontothefindingandwrapdownwardstowardsthebead.Bothlooksareperiod.NOTE:Ifyoudon’thaveaball-headpin,youcanmakeatightlooporcoilattheendofthewireinstead(seemygreendangliesonpage5).

2) Repeatuntilyouhaveadangleforeachloopofyourfindings.(4or6).

3) Makeapairofearwires.

Above:Ancientcrotalia.Right:Modernrecreations.Backviewofthepearlonetoshowthesecurityearwire.

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Earwires Ialwaysusehypoallergenicoratleastnickel-freeforanythingtouchingtheskin,likeearwires.Whenusingmodernfindings,youmayneedtomodifythemalittle.Left,earwireaspurchased.Right,afterusingplierstostraightenthepre-madeangles.Thismorecloselymimicsancientshapes.Youcanalsomakeyourown,fromwire.Ifyoulookcloselyatthecrotaliapicturesyoucansee

thebackoftheearwirerisesup.TheylookuncomfortablebutIcanattesttheyarenot.ThiswasapopularsecuritymeasureinRomanearrings.Ineithercase,usethesameloopingtechniquetoattachyourearrings.

Final thoughts Iencourageyoutoconstantlycheckbackwithyourgalleryofextantpieces(Keepingthemalltogether,inacomputerfolderorPinterestboard,reallyhelpswith“ataglance”review)tostaywithinyourchosenstyle.

Evenifyoustaytiedtothearcheologicalrecord,thereisstillplentyofopportunityforcreativity.Iwasthrilledbyhowmanyperiod-lookingcomponentsareoutthere,ifyoulookforthem.Somearetoopriceytomakepracticallargesseofferings,butothersarewellwithinamodestbudget.Ihopeitinspiresyoutomakejewelrythat’saccuratetoyourperiod,whateveritmaybe.Don’thesitatetocontactmewithanyquestions!Yoursinservice,DominaTulliaSaturnina,JdLRomanaSum.com/Sharon@rosecityacupuncture.com6/29/17

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Bibliography and Sources Coarelli,Filippo.GreekandRomanJewellery.Milan:HamlynPublishingGroup,1966.Croom,Alexandra.RomanClothingandFashion.Stroud,UK:AmberlyPublishing,2000.Henig,Martin.ReligioninRomanBritain.London:B.T.Batsford,1984.Higgins,Reynold.JewelleryfromClassicalLands.London:BritishMuseumPublications,1976.Higgins,Reynold.GreekandRomanJewellery.LosAngeles:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1980.Johns,Catherine,&Potter,Timothy.TheThetfordTreasure:RomanJewelleryandSilver.London:BritishMuseumPublicationsLtd,1983.J.PaulGettyMuseum.HandbookoftheAntiquitiesCollection.LosAngeles:GettyPublications,2002.Kleiner,Diana&Matheson,Susan.IClaudiaII:WomeninRomanArtandSociety.Austin:UniversityofTexasPress,2000.Ogden,Jack.JewelleryoftheAncientWorld.NewYork:TrefoilBooks,Ltd.,1982.Pinckernelle,Kathia.TheIconographyofAncientGreekandRomanJewellery,UniversityofGlasgow,2007PlinytheElder.TheNaturalHistory(English)(ed.JohnBostock,M.D.,F.R.S.,H.T.Riley,Esq.,B.A.),Book37,TheNaturalHistoryofPreciousStones.Athttp://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

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Footnotes 1JohnBostock’scommentaryonNaturalHistory,book372Goldandfacetedcarnelian.Rome,1st-2ndcenturyCE.TheWaltersArtMuseum,#57.1550https://thewalters.org/3Ogden,Jack.JewelleryoftheAncientWorld.NewYork:TrefoilBooks,Ltd.,1982.4NationalMuseumofGeorgia5Goldandemeraldnecklace,1-2ndcenturyCE,MetropolitanMuseumofArt,#21.29.26Gold,emerald,pearl.4.8cmThorvaldsensMuseum.Inventorynumber:H18367Gold,emerald.3.2cm.ThorvaldsensMuseum.Inventorynumber:H18298Gold,sapphire,pearl.3.4cm.ThorvaldsensMuseum.Inventorynumber:H18249MetropolianMuseumofArt,item#20.235.3.3cm.10Cameoandgoldearring(c.1toc.199Italy)http://www.onlinegalleries.com/art-and-antiques/detail/rare-roman-cameo-gold-earring-/76613

Supplies Localcraftstores(JoAnnFabrics,CraftWarehouse,etc.)Localbeadstores(Googleisyourfriend)FireMountainGems.com(becareful–someofthestonestheysendoutaresuspect)ShipwreckBeads.comRioGrande.comEtsy&eBay