Look Better than Cleopatra with Museum Jewelry

When I look at old paintings and statues, I often find myself gazing at the jewelry that the people are wearing. To me, it seems like with such simple designs they were able to produce some extraordinary pieces. Museum jewelry is one way we can continue to look back and merge the fashions of yesterday with today.

 One of my favorite types of jewelry is the style that comes from the East. I find that Asian styles are intricate and detailed on a level that we don’t often see here in the West. Jade is hard to find here in the West and Eastern artists have used this material in a lot of their jewelry. Jade in China was the equivalent of gold in the west. Only the richest and most powerful people were able to wear this stone. Now with jade deposits found in Canada and India, jade is more available on a wide scale. Artists continue to use jade in making jewelry that reflects ancient Asian culture with modern designs.

Another type of museum jewelry is lapis jewelry. Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone that is known for its intense blue color. Ancient Egyptians often used it in the designs of amulets and ornaments like the famous scarabs. Ground lapis was used as eye shadow for Cleopatra. If you want to feel like Cleopatra, just put on some lapis jewelry and walk like an Egyptian.