Pendant

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Amber pendants Amber.pendants.800pix.050203.jpg
Amber pendants
Pushpaka Thali - Wedding pendant used by Pushpaka Brahmins of Kerala, India Pushpaka Thali.png
Pushpaka Thali - Wedding pendant used by Pushpaka Brahmins of Kerala, India
Wedding pendant with 21 beads used by Saint Thomas Christians of India Nasrani Syrian Christian Minnu.jpg
Wedding pendant with 21 beads used by Saint Thomas Christians of India
Spanish pendant at Victoria and Albert Museum. Spanish jewellery-Gold and emerald pendant at VAM-01.jpg
Spanish pendant at Victoria and Albert Museum.
Indonesian pendants WLA lacma Indonesia Bird Pendant ca 100 BC-AD 300.jpg
Indonesian pendants

A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". [1] A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word pendere and Old French word pendr, both of which translate to "to hang down". In modern French, pendant is the gerund form of pendre ("to hang") and also means "during". The extent to which the design of a pendant can be incorporated into an overall necklace makes it not always accurate to treat them as separate items. [2]

Contents

In some cases, though, the separation between necklace and pendant is far clearer. [2]

Overview

Carved agarwood imperial pendant, Qing dynasty, China. Adilnor Collection, Sweden. Qing-agarwood-pendant.jpg
Carved agarwood imperial pendant, Qing dynasty, China. Adilnor Collection, Sweden.

Pendants are among the oldest recorded types of bodily adornment. Stone, shell, pottery, and more perishable materials were used. Ancient Egyptians commonly wore pendants, some shaped like hieroglyphs.

Pendants can have several functions, which may be combined:

The many specialized types of pendants include lockets which open, often to reveal an image, and pendilia, which hang from larger objects of metalwork.

Types

Throughout the ages, pendants have come in a variety of forms to serve a variety of purposes.

Amulet

Though amulets come in many forms, a wearable amulet worn around the neck or on the arm or leg in the form of a pendant is the most common. These are objects believed to possess magical or spiritual power to protect the wearer from danger or dispel evil influences. [3]

Talisman

Similar to an amulet, a talisman is an object believed to possess supernatural traits. However, while an amulet is strictly a defensive object, a talisman is meant to confer special benefits or powers upon the wearer. [4]

Locket

A locket is a small object that opens to reveal a space which serves to hold a small object, usually a photograph or a curl of hair. They typically come in the form of a pendant hanging from a necklace, though they will occasionally be hung from a charm bracelet. [5]

Medallion

A medallion is most often a coin-shaped piece of metal worn as a pendant around the neck or pinned onto clothing. These are generally granted as awards, recognitions, or religious blessings. [6]

Painting

Pendant is the name given to one of two paintings conceived as a pair. They usually are gift from couples and some cultures consider the act of giving one a marry proposition. [7]

Functional pendants

Traveller's sundial pendant (a portable form of astronomical rings) used to tell time from the sun. Memmingen - Wallenstein 2016 - Ringsonnenuhr.jpg
Traveller's sundial pendant (a portable form of astronomical rings) used to tell time from the sun.

Tools worn as pendants include Maori pounamu pendants. Shepherd's whistles, bosun's whistles, and ocarinas can also be made as pendants. Portable astronomical and navigational instruments were made as pendants.

In the first decade of the 21st century, jewellers started to incorporate USB flash drives into pendants. [8] [9]

Fashion pendants

Fashion pendants include a small creative piece often made from precious or non-precious stones and metals like diamonds or pearls hanging freely from a chain or necklace. These are generally worn as a statement piece or a fashion ornament. [10]

Other types

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewellery</span> Form of personal adornment

Jewellery consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a western perspective, the term is restricted to durable ornaments, excluding flowers for example. For many centuries metal such as gold often combined with gemstones, has been the normal material for jewellery, but other materials such as glass, shells and other plant materials may be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Necklace</span> Jewellery worn around the neck

A necklace is an article of jewellery that is worn around the neck. Necklaces may have been one of the earliest types of adornment worn by humans. They often serve ceremonial, religious, magical, or funerary purposes and are also used as symbols of wealth and status, given that they are commonly made of precious metals and stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earring</span> Type of jewelry and body piercing

An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear, or, less often, by some other means. Earrings have been worn by people in different civilizations and historic periods, often with cultural significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parure</span> Set of jewelry

A parure is a set of various items of matching jewelry, which rose to popularity in early 19th-century Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charm bracelet</span> Chain bracelet on which collectible charms may be hung

A charm bracelet is a type of bracelet which carries personal jewelled ornaments or "charms", such as decorative pendants or trinkets. The decorative charms usually carry personal or sentimental attachment by the owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring (jewellery)</span> Round band worn as ornamental jewellery

A ring is a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry. The term "ring" by itself denotes jewellery worn on the finger; when worn as an ornament elsewhere, the body part is specified within the term, e.g., earrings, neck rings, arm rings, and toe rings. Rings fit snugly around or in the part of the body they ornament, so bands worn loosely, like a bracelet, are not rings. Rings may be made of almost any hard material: wood, bone, stone, metal, glass, gemstone or plastic. They may be set with gemstones or with other types of stone or glass.

Khada dupatta is the traditional wedding dress of Hyderabadi Muslim brides in the Indian subcontinent. It is an elaborate wedding ensemble comprising a kurta (tunic), chooridaar, and a 6-yard dupatta.

Jewelry of the Etruscan civilization existed in several eras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amulet</span> Object worn in the belief that it will magically protect the wearer

An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's Natural History describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Anything can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written words.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewels of Elizabeth II</span> Historic collection of royal jewellery

Queen Elizabeth II owned a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the gems and jewels of the Royal Collection, and from the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels.

Kandyan jewellery comes from the hill capital of Ceylon or Sri Lanka. The Kandyan Kingdom lasted till 1815 resulting in the original sets of jewellery and designs still being preserved and worn by Kandyan families today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talisman</span> Object believed to contain certain magical impacts

A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed permanently in architecture. Talismans are closely linked with amulets, fulfilling many of the same roles, but a key difference is in their form and materiality, with talismans often taking the form of objects which are inscribed with magic texts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross necklace</span> Apparel bearing a symbol of Christianity

A cross necklace is any necklace featuring a Christian cross or crucifix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bijou (jewellery)</span> Intricate jewellery piece

A bijou from the French bijou is an intricate jewellery piece incorporated into clothing, or worn by itself on the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman jewelry</span> Jewelry worn in Ancient Roman

Ancient Roman jewelry was characterized by an interest in colored gemstones and glass, in contrast with their Greek predecessors who focused primarily on the production of high-quality metalwork by practiced artisans. Extensive control of Mediterranean territories provided an abundance of natural resources to utilize in jewelry making. Participation in trade allowed access to both semi-precious and precious stones that traveled down the Persian Silk Road from the East.

Victorian jewellery originated in England. Victorian jewellery was produced during the reign of Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901. Queen Victoria was an influential figure who established the different trends in Victorian jewellery. The amount of jewellery acquired throughout the Victorian era established a person’s identity and status. Within the Victorian period, jewellery consisted of a diverse variety of styles and fashions. These periods can be categorised into three distinct timeframes: The Romantic period, the Grand period and the Aesthetic period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewels of Diana, Princess of Wales</span> Collection of jewels

Diana, Princess of Wales, owned a collection of jewels both as a member of the British royal family and as a private individual. These were separate from the coronation and state regalia of the crown jewels. Most of her jewels were either presents from foreign royalty, on loan from Queen Elizabeth II, wedding presents, purchased by Diana herself, or heirlooms belonging to the Spencer family.

Hanfu accessories refers to the various form of fashion accessories and self-adornments used and worn with hanfu throughout Chinese history. Hanfu consists of many forms of miscellaneous accessories, such as jewelries, yaopei, ribbons, shawls, scarves, and hand-held accessories, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewels of the Swedish royal family</span> Jewels belonging to the Royal House of Sweden

The Swedish royal family owns a historic collection of jewels – some owned by the Bernadotte family foundation and others by private individuals. They are separate from the state regalia of Sweden which is owned by the Swedish state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaozhu</span> Qing dynasty court necklace

Chaozhu, also known as Court necklace and Mandarin necklaces in English, is a type of necklace worn as an essential element of the Qing dynasty Court clothing uniform. Chaozhu were worn by the Qing dynasty Emperors and members of the Imperial family, by imperial civil officials from the 1st to the 5th rank and the military official above the 4th rank.

References

  1. "The Early Pendant: A Jewelry And A Talisman". Talismanamulet.org. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 Johns, Catherine (1996). The Jewellery of Roman Britain Celtic and classical Traditions. Routledge. p. 104. ISBN   9780415516129.
  3. "amulet". The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). Encyclopedia.com. 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  4. "Talisman". Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Encyclopedia.com. 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  5. Luscomb, Sally. The Collector's Encyclopedia of Buttons. Atglen, PA: Schiffer. p. 242. ISBN   0-7643-1815-2.
  6. "Medal". The Columbia Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia.com. 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  7. "Pendants For Married Couple - A Perfect Gift For Your Partner".
  8. Yamamoto, Mike (1 February 2007). "USB as fashion statement". CNet. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  9. Yamamoto, Mike (11 June 2007). "The hot trend in designer jewelry: USB keys". CNet. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  10. "Ways to Style Pendant Necklaces".