Archive for the ‘Jewelry in religion’ Category

Egyptian religious jewelry

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

Egyptian religious jewelry is very rich and diverse, just like the entire history and religion of ancient Egypt. It is dominated by unique divinities, exceptional traditions and amazing symbols. It is rather hard to define the reason, but modern society is very intrigued by these elements. People all around the world wear such articles with pleasure and enthusiasm, and this interest has developed a wide assortment on the global market.


Religious jewelry of ancient Egypt was meant to support and protect three main aspects of the human soul. Ka (life force) is the eternal matter of one’s spirit, as it appears at birth and is an essential element in continuing life after physical death. Ba is also named the individual personality and it represents the soul which leaves the body after its decease. Akh marks the third element of immortality and can be observed in the aura of each person. The personal ornaments of this religion were meant to bring harmony between these features and to enable a soul to become eternal.

As you can conclude, religious jewelry had a special meaning in ancient Egypt and it meant much more than body ornamentation. Such articles are extremely popular nowadays, because people consider them to be really protecting. The philosophy and beliefs of those times are certainly wise, and we all want to benefit from this.

On the global market, we can find a lot of items from Egyptian religious jewelry, such as bracelets, rings, pendants and amulets. They usually contain some specific symbols of cosmic and anthological mythology and are believed to bring perfect harmony in its spiritual meaning. It doesn’t really matter what materials these jewels are made from, although gold and gems are preferred. The most important matter of Egyptian personal ornamentation is its authenticity. And remember: no item of this kind will be helpful for you unless you strongly believe in its power.

Maya jewelry

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

Maya civilization has always been a mystery for our society and so has Maya religious jewelry. Those ancient people had amazing possibilities and knowledge, in both terrestrial and cosmic areas. It is difficult and even impossible for us to understand their wisdom. However, these facts increase the global interest for this incredible civilization. One of its elements which are available to us is their personal ornamentation and we are all eager to benefit from this.


Maya religious jewelry has been dominated by symbols and signs. It was believed that a man could obtain support from divinities by wearing a pendant or a bracelet with specific cryptograms. In our days, people want to purchase such items, because they strongly confide in their power. Among the most popular signs we can find the Aztec glyph for magic mushrooms Teonanactl. It represents a supernatural method of communication with gods. Pendants with a ladder on them are meant to make the connection between Earth and Universe. They are supposed to bring spiritual ecstasy and were usually worn by shamans. In our days, they can adorn persons of all social ranks and occupations. The grave sign marks the beginning of a new life and is formed from a circle in the middle and four eyes around it. There also exists a variety of representations for spiritual protection and immortality.

Of course, their belief has already been replaced with more modern philosophies, but Maya religious jewelry is still worn and appreciated. It may not be of crucial importance to us, but it certainly is a way to perceive ancient culture. Some people purchase such articles in order to be protected by divinities; others buy them so as to add a note of mystery to their style. In both cases, it is an admirable interest which will allow this culture to last in time.

Muslim Jewelry

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

The Muslim religion is very complex and demanding. Even if there are a lot of accessories with these themes, this specific faith has put a strong interdiction on all kinds of religious jewelry. However, people all over the world keep buying them, either as a simple attribute of fashion, or as a sign of their belief. It is necessary to mention, though, that authentic Muslims would never wear such amulets or symbols.


It is considered that wearing of such pendants will make Allah mad and He will no longer help you. Even the prophet Muhammad said that such ornaments are against the will of Allah. It might seem unbelievable at the beginning, but it is not very difficult to understand this theory. Muslims consider that people who wear such religious jewelry are, in fact, venerating these items and some inexistent spirits. The hope that such amulets will bring you luck and help you solve your problems means that lack of hope in Allah itself. The almighty God is, in the Muslim religion, the only force who can decide what amount of luck and bad luck to give to a human. By wearing religious amulets, people show their disrespect for the decision of the great Allah Subhanu Wa Ta’ala.

Still, Muslim religious jewelry is rather spread on the global market. It is usually bought by tourists and by people who are interested in this religion. These jewels are made from all possible materials: from wood to platinum. It can represent saints, words from the Koran or simple phrases about this faith. Sometimes, these accessories are decorated with gems and precious diamonds. As believers would never wear amulets and talismans, they mostly are used as fashion details. Muslims may believe that Allah will punish them for wearing religious jewelry, but Europeans can wear it without any concerns.

Jewish Jewelry

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

The Jewish faith is very complex and interesting. Religious jewelry has a great significance in the context of Judaism. There even is a fragment of Talmud which tells about the fact that while they were in the dessert, Jews received not only food, but also precious gems, which were meant to become ornaments for women. This is great evidence that women can and should wear all types of personal accessories. The tractate of Bava Batra, it is said that no one has the right of impeding traders to sell jewelry in their own town. Talmud explains these words by adding that jewelry was absolutely necessary for daughters of Israel.


Therefore, it is obvious that religious jewelry had and still has a high meaning in Judaism. But it is important to mention that these jewels must be modest and small, they shouldn’t be too big or too vulgar. The aim of these ornaments for a woman is to be always attractive for her husband, but she should never be attractive for other men. The Talmud even has a fragment which says that a husband should never forget about the happiness that jewels bring to his wife and he must give her such precious presents on every holiday.

Jewish religious jewelry is, obviously, extremely spread on the global market. It has some exclusive symbols as the Chai, the Mezuzah, the Mizpah friendship coin and the Star of David. The Chai is a very important sign in Judaism, as it represents the entire spirit of religion and faith.

It is not hard to imagine that religious jewelry of Judaism is mostly made from gold and silver, and decorated with gems and diamonds. All these symbols have a great history and a mysterious charm. Therefore, they are not only worn by Jewish people, but also by personalities interested in this faith.