Over 2,000 years ago, Chinese people began making and using unique silver jewelry. Here are just a few of the items they made:
Silver bracelets
Bracelet styles and silver jewels in ancient China varied a lot. They were made of jade, gold, silver, or agate. Some bracelets were carved with lovely patterns like two dragons vying for a ball. Some bracelets were hollow inside, and have a Chinese character engraved on their surface: longevity, which meant to live a long healthy life.
Silver earrings
Earrings first appeared in China about 1,000 years ago. In ancient times, women liked to wear earrings with a long pendants featuring little balls, round slices, or several cones linked together.
Today, sterling silver jewelry and silver earrings are popular not only with Chinese women, but with some ethnic groups. In Hainan Island of southern China, the earrings the local women wear are more than 18 cm in diameter and fall down to their shoulders. Some women even wear ten earrings linked together at one time.
Silver ornaments adorned onto the hats
In ancient times, when a child was born, the parents would prepare a new hat adorned with glistening silver flowers to wish the baby a happy life. When an elderly woman celebrated her birthday, her daughters would sew her a new hat decorated with some silver pieces like birds, butterflies, chrysanthemums, and peonies to wish her a long life.
Silver buttons
In ancient China, buttons on a piece of clothing were usually made of cloth or silk. But people believed silver had a super power, so they wore silver buttons to pray for a happy, safe, and prosperous life.
Different designs on a silver button have different meanings: lotus flowers indicate righteousness, fish imply wealth, and peaches symbolize a long and healthy life.
Silverware
Silverware was mainly used by nobles and royal families. The beautiful silverware were highlighted with their various shapes and wonderful technique, including silver incense burners, plates, pots, and bowls.
There’s a lot more you should know about Chinese silver jewelry, especially the Miao unique silver jewelry, so click over to my website!
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