Tunisian Jewelry and its Various Forms
Tunisian traditional jewelry is extravagant, huge, and stunning. These are worn not only to embellish a female's attire but also as a kind of spiritual protection, respecting the historical custom, and for economic considerations. A Tunisian woman's jewelry collection is comparable to her own financial account. She may manage it any way she wants - buy, sell, barter, give or receive as a gift, and so on. Vintage diamonds are frequently passed down via families. Modern Tunisian ladies still prefer traditional jewelry to the more common ones seen across the world. Tunisian conventional jewels were influenced by Arab-Muslim geometric patterns, as well as Jewish artisans who immigrated in the 17th century from Palestine. Jewelry fashioned from gold sovereigns and other coins is one of the most popular products; these coins are used in necklaces, earrings, and headdresses, among several other stuff.
Tunisian jewelry types vary by region:
Coral Jewelry:
Coral, along with amber, mother of pearl, and pearl, is categorized as sustainably grown. Those are all classified as priceless stones as "gemstones," which are excellent, decorative, and appealing-colored stones. As a result, coral is still highly valued by connoisseurs both here and abroad, particularly among our Italian or Corsican friends. Those who were seeking purity and naturalness, as well as the grandeur and brightness of such material, are paying extravagant rates for that too.
We might have had a piece of coral jewelry lying inside your house. A pendant bestowed to you by your mum or a necklace purchased at a private sale that you wear on occasion to add a splash of color and a Mediterranean flair to your clothing. Red coral is in the growing market for jewelry as well as spectacular evening gowns and accessories. For ages, it has been gathered in our rocky seabed on the Coral Coast, which runs over 300 kilometers around Bizerte and Tabarka.
Sacred Adornment - The Amazigh Jewelry
Amazighen considers that jewelry items have a holy worth. They frequently utilize them as talismans and charms. As a result, the diamonds must meet certain tight criteria, yet the majority of them are kept hidden from foreigners. It might be a precise amount of components (for example, a tlila necklace must have seven coins), or it can be the meticulous selection of elements, and so on. We're fortunate in that Amazigh tribes have almost all preserved their jewelry heritage, so we may experience the beauty of Amazigh jewelry directly.
Tunisia's many areas and ethnic communities each have their own dress traditions and also unique jewelry culture. Berbers, also known as Amazighen, are one of Tunisia's largest minority groups. It's a big ethnicity from North Africa (it covers a part of the territories of Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, and several others). The Amazigh culture is rich and old, and these people appreciate and maintain their ideas and culture. Necklaces, huge earrings (sometimes paired with a chain traveling over the head and pendants at the temples), brooches, and bracelets are the most common jewelry pieces in Amazigh culture. Coins, semi-precious stones (amber, pearls, and coral), shells, and other materials can be used to make such gems.
Wooden Accessories:
Olive wood is a unique hardwood, making it more desirable and lasting than other types of wood. Its distinct texture gives a piece of jewelry depth. Olive wood's rich honey hue contrasts nicely with gold accents. Using only a wood-shaping method, the Mediterranean wood is transformed into one-of-a-kind jewelry items, including rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches, wristbands, and much more.
Wood is still used far less frequently than other classic organic jewelry materials like pearls, mother-of-pearl, and coral, but it is still a popular solution for building unique jewelry.
Because of its spiritual significance, olive wood is frequently used to make rosary beads and other Christian-inspired items, something we don't see in Tunisia, where the majority of the population is Muslim. However, there are many younger olive wood artists in Tunisia who are experimenting in jewelry making, and we wanted to be able to put these on the map at Qartaj.
Silver Jewelry:
Silver jewelry can be simple and eternal, and because of its malleability, it can even be made in a variety of forms and shapes, ranging from simple to extravagant. Tunisian silver jewelry is frequently fashioned using the "wire weaving" method, which uses very tiny wires to create a fragile but decorative item.
Silver jewelry appears to be preferred by the majority of women worldwide because it is more stylish, current, and thus less "old-fashioned" than gold jewelry. Gold and silver jewelry, on the other hand, never go out of style, and timeless items are excellent investments for jewelry collectors.
Silver has been used since ancient times, with the first silver mineral appearing in Anatolia approximately 3000 BC. The term "silver" implies "bright" in many ancient writings, including Greek, and this is how we see it in the production of awards, fibulae, and often in weapons, battle jewelry, and other more male jewelry, owing to its malleability, flexibility, and shine.
Silver jewelry, like ethnic lines, highlights structures, reliefs, and the form of the face. Mantras and reliefs were etched on silver rings in Tibetan tradition and Nepalese goldsmithing.