Metmuseum.org: Jewellery
The Best
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Chain Pendant Necklace and Triple-Hoop Earrings Set
237.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This timeless set reinterprets an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus and now in The Met collection. So-called "baroque" pearls are named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the West.
Top
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Sargent Madame X Crescent Brooch - Rhodium-toned Plate
72.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This eye-catching brooch reimagines the crescent moon headpiece atop Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau's iconic profile. Gautreau, perhaps better known today as "Madame X," was admired in Paris for her artful appearance, and John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) hoped to enhance his reputation by painting the stylish socialite's portrait in 1883-84. He emphasized his subject's daring fashion sense by showing the right strap of her gown slipping from her shoulder; however, upon the picture's exhibition at the Salon of 1884, it received more ridicule than praise. Sargent repainted the strap and kept the work for over 30 years. When he eventually sold it to The Met, he commented, "I suppose it is the best thing I have done," but asked the Museum to disguise the sitter's name. We're delighted to present this item in celebration of Sargent and Paris. This Met exhibition explores the early career of the American painter John Singer Sargent, from his arrival in Paris in 1874 through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon. Over the course of one extraordinary decade, Sargent achieved recognition by creating boldly ambitious portraits and figure paintings that pushed the boundaries of conventionality. Beyond the portrait studio, he traveled in search of inspiration for his art-finding subjects in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and North Africa. This exhibition gathers Sargent's diverse works from this period to illuminate his path to becoming an artist, which was indelibly shaped by his experiences in the French capital. These visually stunning works provide a compelling view of the Paris art world of the late 19th century. Read our blog post
Excellent
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish Baldric Lapis Braided Necklace and Elongated Drop Earrings Set
232.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. This rich blue jewelry is inspired by a spectacular Spanish baldric (first half 17th century), a type of crossbody belt or chain often worn to support a sword. Much of the scholarship around jewelry fashions throughout history is informed by portraits in which the sitters wear a certain style of adornment. An enameled example very much like the one displayed in The Met's Vélez Blanco Patio, dedicated to the decorative arts of Spain between 1450 and 1700, is worn diagonally across the chest in an early 17th-century portrait of a young man. We've honored the blue detailing on the original, featuring champlevé enamel, with semiprecious lapis and enamel elements. Click
Recommended
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish Day and Night Magnifier Pendant Necklace and Moon Drop Earrings Set
167.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. These celestial motifs celebrate a type of print called a broadside depicting 48 allegorical figures pertaining to the sun and the moon. The original, now in The Met collection, was printed about 1860-70 by Juan Llorens (Spanish, active ca. 1855-70), an active publisher of broadsides in Barcelona. Broadsides were issued by the thousands and sold on the street or in publishers' shops beginning in 16th-century Europe. These inexpensive sheets of small images, made to entertain the buyer with depictions of current news, children's games, popular tales, and so on, were so well received that certain printing presses made them their specialty. Many early broadsides have been lost due to their ephemeral nature, but numerous others survive in The Met collection. Click
Featured
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish Day and Night Moon Brooch
82.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. The celestial motifs defining this brooch are adapted from a type of print called a broadside depicting 48 allegorical figures pertaining to the sun and the moon. The original, now in The Met collection, was printed about 1860-70 by Juan Llorens (Spanish, active ca. 1855-70), an active publisher of broadsides in Barcelona. Broadsides were issued by the thousands and sold on the street or in publishers' shops beginning in 16th-century Europe. These inexpensive sheets of small images, made to entertain the buyer with depictions of current news, children's games, popular tales, and so on, were so well received that certain printing presses made them their specialty. Many early broadsides have been lost due to their ephemeral nature, but numerous others survive in The Met collection. Click
Alternative
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Japanese Imari Collar Necklace and Linear Drop Earrings Set
267.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. This elegant jewelry draws inspiration from a pair of painted porcelain bottles in The Met collection. Though they were made between around 1690 and 1720 in the Japanese province of Hizen, they're housed in the Museum's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts holdings as they were specifically made for the European export market. Imari porcelain, a type of Japanese Hizen ware characterized by elaborate patterns in bold colors, became especially coveted by high-society patrons in late 17th- and early 18th-century Europe. This demand for vibrancy eventually eclipsed the taste for the blue-and-white palette traditionally associated with imported Asian ceramics. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the stones may vary. Read about the Museum treasure behind this jewelry and shop other art-inspired designs in our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Etruscan Lion Hinged Cuff Bracelet
132.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. The regal lion on this sculptural accessory comes from an Etruscan ring forged in the early 5th century B. C. and now in The Met's Greek and Roman Art collection. While the original lion was engraved into the gold ring as an intaglio, our design presents the creature as a raised relief. The Museum's ring, from a tomb group supposedly from the ancient town of Vulci, belongs to one of the richest and most impressive sets of Etruscan jewelry ever unearthed. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Philippine Pearl Double-Strand Necklace and Linear Drop Earrings Set
252.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. This luminous jewelry evokes a gold-and-pearl rosary made in the 17th-19th-century Philippines and now in The Met collection.Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Spanish missionaries traveled to the Philippines and brought with them, among many other Western traditions, the Catholic rosary: a string of beads used to count repetitions of prayers. These devotional beads assumed various sizes and forms, and continued to evolve until a basic design and sequence of prayers were standardized in the 15th century. In the Philippines, which notably boasts the second largest gold reserves in the world, many rosaries and tamborins-a type of Philippine necklace that combined the European rosary with pre-Hispanic and Asian visual concepts-were made of gold and embellished with beads of coral or pearl. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary. Read about the Museum treasure behind this jewelry and shop other art-inspired designs in our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Willow Catkins Pearl Bib Necklace and Drop Earrings Set
267.95 USD
Our coordinating necklace and earrings set in 18K gold plate features luminous freshwater pearls. They celebrate a handsome ceramic vase in The Met collection decorated with a charming motif of willow catkins. Louis C. Tiffany was moved to produce ceramics after seeing examples of French art pottery at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Many of his pottery vases derived their forms from common wildflowers and water plants as seen in their natural habitats-ferns, lilies, cattails, jack-in-the-pulpits, and toadstools.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art British Valentine Gold Vermeil Locket
157.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. Delicately decorated with garnet and cultured freshwater pearl accents, the romantic floral motif on this functional gold vermeil locket evokes a British valentine produced around 1875. The valentine, now associated with courtship, evolved out of the medieval practice of giving religious images on richly embellished parchment as commemorative gifts. The 19th-century valentine that inspired this jewelry bears a bouquet with the endearing message, "Ever yours." Read our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Royal Tudor Pearl Chandelier Brooch
132.95 USD
Featuring cultured freshwater pearls and sparkling Swarovski® crystals, our statement-making chandelier brooch celebrates the splendid adornments worn by Ellen Maurice in Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger's portrait (1597) at The Met. The Welsh heiress is poised in a dramatic dress embellished with lustrous pearls, which were known as the "Queen of gems" in the Elizabethan era. Gheeraerts was the preeminent painter in the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean courts, esteemed for the way he so masterfully rendered sumptuous fabrics and sparkling jewels. Click here to learn more about the artwork that inspired this jewelry. Read our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Classical Carnelian Stud Earrings
57.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. An ancient ring crafted during Greece's Classical period is transformed into contemporary carnelian jewelry. These stud earrings nod to the ring's fiery carnelian centerpiece, which is enveloped by a setting accented with gold filigree. This timeless adornment from the 5th century B. C. is part of The Met's celebrated Greek and Roman art collection. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Royal Tudor Forward-Facing Hoop Earrings with Pearl Drops
82.95 USD
These stylish contemporary earrings celebrate the splendid pearl adornments worn by Ellen Maurice in Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger's portrait (1597) at The Met. The Welsh heiress is poised in a dramatic dress embellished with lustrous pearls, which were known as the "Queen of gems" in the Elizabethan era. Gheeraerts was the preeminent painter in the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean courts, esteemed for the way he so masterfully rendered sumptuous fabrics and sparkling jewels. Click here to learn more about the artwork that inspired this jewelry.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Meiji Butterfly Pendant Necklace and Drop Earrings Set
177.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. Butterflies are beloved subjects in Japanese art, not only for their poetic beauty but for their association with longevity and springtime. This shimmering jewelry is inspired by the mother-of-pearl butterflies decorating a marvelous Japanese box (second half of the 19th century) in The Met's holdings. Likely reserved for ceremonial tea utensils, the Museum's Meiji-period treasure-bequeathed by the visionary collector, silversmith, and Tiffany & Co. designer Edward C. Moore (American, 1827-1891)-boasts magnificent craftwork and serves as the most significant example of a Japanese lacquer technique known as maki-e (meaning "sprinkled picture") in Moore's expansive collection. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Karavas Gems Large-Bead Aventurine and Pearl Necklace and Drop Earrings Set
247.95 USD
Unique, art-inspired gifts for her. Our elegant jewelry celebrates a timeless 6th-7th-century necklace found at Karavas, Cyprus, which once belonged to the Byzantine empire. In 330 CE, Constantine the Great (r. 306-337)-the first Christian ruler of the Roman empire-transferred the imperial capital from Rome to the eastern city of Byzantion, which he renamed Constantinople ("the city of Constantine") in his own honor. As the inheritors of the Roman empire, the Byzantines carried the torch of tradition and produced a wealth of wearable treasures in precious gold, silver, and gemstones, signaling their unwavering status. The Museum's adornment, with its colorful green-quartz beads, lustrous pearls, and exquisite opus interrasile craftsmanship-a pierced metalwork technique used between the 3rd and 7th centuries-exemplifies the astounding finesse of Byzantine jewelry. Model shown is also wearing the Karavas Gems Aventurine Beaded Necklace (80059731) Read about the Museum treasure behind this jewelry and shop other art-inspired designs in our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Triple-Hoop Earrings
132.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. These stylish triple-hoop earrings reinterpret an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus and now in The Met collection. We've embellished the original adornment's characteristic twist motif with cultured freshwater baroque pearls, named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the Western world. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art British Valentine Gold Vermeil Drop Earrings
157.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. Delicately decorated with garnet and cultured freshwater pearl accents, the romantic floral motif decorating these gold vermeil earrings evokes a British valentine produced around 1875. The valentine, now associated with courtship, evolved out of the medieval practice of giving religious images on richly embellished parchment as commemorative gifts. The 19th-century valentine that inspired this jewelry bears a bouquet with the endearing message, "Ever yours." Read our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Chain Pendant Necklace
147.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This timeless chain necklace embellished with a cultured freshwater baroque pearl reinterprets an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus and now in The Met collection. So-called "baroque" pearls are named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the West. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary.
Jewellery Metmuseum.org best products
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Classical Carnelian Pendant Necklace
157.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. An ancient ring crafted during Greece's Classical period is transformed into contemporary carnelian jewelry. The pendant on this necklace adapts the ring's fiery carnelian centerpiece, which is enveloped by a setting accented with gold filigree. This timeless adornment from the 5th century B. C. is part of The Met's celebrated Greek and Roman art collection. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Necklace and Drop Earrings Set
237.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This timeless set reinterprets an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus in The Met collection. We've embellished the original adornment's characteristic twist motif with so-called "baroque" pearls, named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the Western world.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Herakles Knot Hoop Earrings - 14K Gold Plate/Sterling Silver
102.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. These stylish hoops borrow the Herakles knot on a 2nd-century bracelet from Egypt in The Met collection. The ancient Greeks named this simple but strong knot in reference to the mythical hero Herakles, who used it to tie the skin of the slain Nemean lion around his neck upon fulfilling the first of his legendary 12 labors. Because of its affiliation with Herakles, celebrated for his strength and bravery, the knot was considered a protective amulet. It also assumed association with marriage and fertility. The Herakles knot remained a popular ornamental form into Roman times, as exemplified by the Museum's Roman-period bracelet. Read about the Museum treasure behind this jewelry and shop other art-inspired designs in our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Double-Drop Earrings
122.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. These stylish cultured freshwater pearl earrings reinterpret an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus and now in The Met collection. So-called "baroque" pearls are named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the West. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish Baldric Lapis Braided Necklace
182.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. This timeless necklace is inspired by a spectacular Spanish baldric (first half 17th century), a type of crossbody belt or chain often worn to support a sword. Much of the scholarship around jewelry fashions throughout history is informed by portraits in which the sitters wear a certain style of adornment. An example very much like the one displayed in The Met's Vélez Blanco Patio, dedicated to the decorative arts of Spain between 1450 and 1700, is worn diagonally across the chest in an early 17th-century portrait of a young man. We've honored the blue detailing on the original, featuring champlevé enamel, with semiprecious lapis beads and an eye-catching enamel clasp. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Mediterranean Coin Stud Earrings
59.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her These stylish earrings pay tribute to the expansive collection of coins in the Museum's Greek and Roman art galleries. Silver and gold currency held intrinsic value during Greece's Hellenistic period, and spectacular, sculptural coins bearing the likenesses of emperors, animals, and other pictorial scenes became fashionable in jewelry as far back as the 3rd century.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Sargent Madame X Crescent Brooch - 18K Gold Plate
82.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This eye-catching brooch reimagines the crescent moon headpiece atop Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau's iconic profile. Gautreau, perhaps better known today as "Madame X," was admired in Paris for her artful appearance, and John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) hoped to enhance his reputation by painting the stylish socialite's portrait in 1883-84. He emphasized his subject's daring fashion sense by showing the right strap of her gown slipping from her shoulder; however, upon the picture's exhibition at the Salon of 1884, it received more ridicule than praise. Sargent repainted the strap and kept the work for over 30 years. When he eventually sold it to The Met, he commented, "I suppose it is the best thing I have done," but asked the Museum to disguise the sitter's name. We're delighted to present this item in celebration of Sargent and Paris. This Met exhibition explores the early career of the American painter John Singer Sargent, from his arrival in Paris in 1874 through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon. Over the course of one extraordinary decade, Sargent achieved recognition by creating boldly ambitious portraits and figure paintings that pushed the boundaries of conventionality. Beyond the portrait studio, he traveled in search of inspiration for his art-finding subjects in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and North Africa. This exhibition gathers Sargent's diverse works from this period to illuminate his path to becoming an artist, which was indelibly shaped by his experiences in the French capital. These visually stunning works provide a compelling view of the Paris art world of the late 19th century. Read our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Willow Catkins Pearl Bib Necklace
212.95 USD
Our nature-inspired bib necklace in 18K gold plate is lavishly bedecked with freshwater pearls. It celebrates a handsome ceramic vase in The Met collection decorated with a charming motif of willow catkins. Louis C. Tiffany was moved to produce ceramics after seeing examples of French art pottery at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Many of his pottery vases derived their forms from common wildflowers and water plants as seen in their natural habitats-ferns, lilies, cattails, jack-in-the-pulpits, and toadstools.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Filipino Pearl Cross Pendant Necklace
157.95 USD
This delicate pendant embellished with freshwater pearls references a gold-and-pearl cross made in the Philippines between the 17th and 19th centuries. This eye-catching charm evokes the many timeless emblems of faith in the Museum's holdings.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art William Morris Strawberry Thief Enamel Bangle
82.95 USD
This eye-catching enamel bangle celebrates William Morris's (British, 1834-1896) whimsical Strawberry Thief, an iconic printed textile registered in 1883 and printed between 1917 and 1923 at Merton Abbey Tapestry Works near Wimbledon. The beloved botanical motif was derived from Morris's country home, Kelmscott Manor, where a community of thrushes would relentlessly pluck the strawberries from his garden.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Mother-of-Pearl Mosaic T-Bar Pendant Necklace
132.95 USD
Unique jewelry is the ideal gift for her. The naturally iridescent mother-of-pearl pendant adorning this necklace reinterprets a lustrous Indian powder flask (18th-19th-century) in The Met collection. Crafted in Gujarat for the export market, this artful vessel of shimmering green turban shell was created to contain gunpowder. The Museum is home to a vast collection of diversely decorated powder flasks from around the world.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Triple-Drop Earrings
107.95 USD
The striking twist motif on these timeless earrings comes from an elegant Cypriot bracelet in the Museum's holdings. The original adornment belongs to The Met's esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the Western world. Click here to learn more about the object that inspired these earrings.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish Baldric Lapis Elongated Drop Earrings
82.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. These timeless earrings are inspired by a spectacular Spanish baldric (first half 17th century), a type of crossbody belt or chain often worn to support a sword. Much of the scholarship around jewelry fashions throughout history is informed by portraits in which the sitters wear a certain style of adornment. An enameled example very much like the one displayed in The Met's Vélez Blanco Patio, dedicated to the decorative arts of Spain between 1450 and 1700, is worn diagonally across the chest in an early 17th-century portrait of a young man. We've translated the eye-catching blue detailing on the original, which features champlevé enamel, into semiprecious lapis and enamel elements. Click
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Celestial Symbols Carved Mother-of-Pearl Coin Hoop Earrings
45.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. A stained-glass roundel (1390) at The Met Cloisters lends its celestial motifs to these whimsical earrings. The original was crafted in a large court workshop in Niederösterreich, Austria, and installed in the castle at Ebreichsdorf near the Hungarian border. Having withstood attacks by the Mongols in the 13th century, followed by the Turks in the 17th century, the castle never returned to its medieval splendor; with the exception of a surviving panel in Vienna, this roundel and a series of narrative panels depicting the life of Christ, formerly displayed in the Gothic Chapel at Ebreichsdorf and now at The Cloisters, are all that remain of the structure's magnificent glasswork.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art European Cameo Charm Necklace and Drop Earrings Set
207.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. This striking set celebrates the "Marlborough Gem," a 19th-century adornment in The Met's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts holdings. So named for reputedly belonging to a collection formed by the fourth duke of Marlborough, the original ornament features a central cameo based on a Roman type in which the subject glances over her shoulder. She's framed by an assortment of smaller cameos-added by a subsequent owner-a few of which may claim classical origins. The Museum's ensemble illustrates the age-old practice of incorporating cameos to build pieces of greater complexity.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Philippine Pearl Double-Strand Necklace
192.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. This luminous double-strand necklace evokes a gold-and-pearl rosary made in the 17th-19th-century Philippines and now in The Met collection.Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Spanish missionaries traveled to the Philippines and brought with them, among many other Western traditions, the Catholic rosary: a string of beads used to count repetitions of prayers. These devotional beads assumed various sizes and forms, and continued to evolve until a basic design and sequence of prayers were standardized in the 15th century. In the Philippines, which notably boasts the second largest gold reserves in the world, many rosaries and tamborins-a type of Philippine necklace that combined the European rosary with pre-Hispanic and Asian visual concepts-were made of gold and embellished with beads of coral or pearl. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Met Cloisters Garden Fava Bean Stud Earrings
47.95 USD
Art jewelry inspired by The Met collection. A charming French portrayal of a fava bean (Vicia faba) springs to life with these botanical earrings. The original illustration by the Master of Claude de France is found in a spectacular book of flower studies (ca. 1510-1515), which belongs to what's been called "the last flowering" of northern European manuscript illumination in the medieval tradition. Each species in this magnificent manuscript was immortalized in witness to its beauty, and can be found in the gardens at The Met Cloisters, where the book is housed.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Medieval Black Sea Embedded Gem Hoop Earrings
45.95 USD
Gift her art-inspired earrings. These artful hoop earrings celebrate the artisanship of the Middle Ages. The scrolling motif comes from an 8th-century belt mount crafted by the Avars, a nomadic tribe of Eurasian warriors tasked with protecting the Byzantine Empire's northern border along the Black Sea.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Braided Pearl Necklace
202.95 USD
Elegant Pearl Jewelry, Art-Inspired Necklace Our elegant necklace, adorned with cultured freshwater pearls, recalls the lustrous pearl jewelry depicted in European paintings in The Met collection. These masterworks include Judith with the Head of Holofernes, ca. 1530, by Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472-1553); Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan, 1633, by Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669); and many others. Beginning in the 16th century, expanding global trade routes made pearls an affordable luxury for many. The elite of Renaissance Europe lavishly draped themselves with pearls as symbols of status, taste, and wealth.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Cypriot Twist Pearl Pendant Necklace
92.95 USD
Art jewelry makes a unique gift for her. This delicate necklace reinterprets an elegant gold bracelet from Cyprus in The Met collection. We've embellished the original adornment's characteristic twist motif with a cultured freshwater baroque pearl, named after the word barroco, a Portuguese term for a pearl with an irregular shape. The Museum's bracelet belongs to the esteemed Cesnola Collection, which comprises Cypriot art and artifacts made between ca. 2500 B. C. and ca. A. D. 300, and serves as the most important and comprehensive assemblage of its kind in the Western world. Due to the natural elements in this jewelry, the color of the pearls may vary.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Herakles Knot Ring - 14K Gold Plate/Sterling Silver - Size 7
92.95 USD
Unique gifts for her. This eye-catching ring borrows the Herakles knot on a 2nd-century bracelet from Egypt in The Met collection. The ancient Greeks named this simple but strong knot in reference to the mythical hero Herakles, who used it to tie the skin of the slain Nemean lion around his neck upon fulfilling the first of his legendary 12 labors. Because of its affiliation with Herakles, celebrated for his strength and bravery, the knot was considered a protective amulet. It also assumed association with marriage and fertility. The Herakles knot remained a popular ornamental form into Roman times, as exemplified by the Museum's Roman-period bracelet. Read about the Museum treasure behind this jewelry and shop other art-inspired designs in our blog post
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Ottoman Star Antiqued Silver Brooch
107.95 USD
This celestial brooch celebrates an opulent sword with scabbard in The Met collection. Probably assembled by a court jeweler, the spectacular saber has a 17th-century Iranian blade, an 18th-century Indian jade grip, and gem-studded gold and gilt-brass mounts of contemporary workmanship. The emerald near the top of the scabbard opens to reveal a secret compartment containing a gold coin marked with the name of Süleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566), the most powerful Ottoman ruler of the 16th century. Underneath, the gem is inscribed with the phrase, "According to God's will." The most important ceremony in the inauguration of many Islamic rulers was the investiture with such a sword. Read our blog post