Filigree Jewelry

There is just something about filigree jewelries that women just can’t get enough of them. Filigree jewelry pieces or simply filigrees is the most unique among the jewelry types.

Filigree jewelry has a very rich history. To start with, the name itself signifies a lot. Filigree is derived from two root words of Latin nature. Originally filigree is written as filligree – partly filum, which means to thread or stitch and granum which means seeding. From its etymology, one can really say that filigree is indeed a process of threading, winding, stringing, bending and braiding very fine metallic fiber and welding them using silver or gold materials.

In other countries, filigree jewelry is known as Telkari – which means a work of wires. In Anatolia it’s called ciftisi which refers to a work done by twisting. Contrary to popular belief, filigree did not come from Romans as the Latin root words suggest. Experts believe that a more precise etymological history of the filigree jewelry is said to have come from Spanish word – filigrana which is a combination of fili and grano. In Spain, the word grano refers to a strand of something, fili also means to spin.

But historians have also uncovered a discovery about the early use of filigree jewelry. These were said to be used in graves as a way of ornament and decoration. This was a more preferred way of adorning the graves of the dead especially in the ancient days of Greeks and Etruscans over the choice of gold engraves on the grave.

Creating and stitching filigree jewelries was a painstaking process. It involved a lot of skills for stitching, twisting, soldering, plaiting, curling and bending very thin wires. These were then soldered with gold and silver at end to end. Beads are also incorporated to add more design. It was basically a work of art of an expert jeweler and that is why filigree jewelries are often found more expensive. There is no other way to make filigree jewelry items as compared to others jewelry pieces that can be molded and cast to make mass production.

Modern forms of filigree jewelries have even become more intricate. Since there are more demands for a variety of designs, shaping them into viable and appealing designs is a complex task. Metal fibers are indeed so difficult to form that in order to keep their shape, cluster of small metallic sheets are used to hold the pieces together and preserve the figure.

Egyptians were also found to be using filigree jewelries in their ancient times. But it was not as extensive as it is today. Wires were used to knit together and form precious jewelries. Excavations by archaeologists and paleontologists found relics and artifacts of filigree-type jewelries forming long chains that seemed to be necklaces.

Further studies and discoveries have led many speculations to surprising findings that indeed filigree jewelries were not just made four hundred years ago but were first crafted approximately five millennia ago.

In a Mesopotamian expedition, a filigree dagger was unearthed and believed to have been created 4600 years ago. Another filigreen discovery was extracted from the earth which was made up of silver and gold in Egyptian tombs that is said to be 3350 years old.

Scientists have linked early Lebanese civilization to the use of filigree items. Careful and thorough researches have further concluded that the earliest settlers in the Lebanon area learned the art of making filigree jewelries from people in Early Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Greeks also have significant contribution to the history of filigreen items. Excavated jewelries like necklaces were ornamented with small filigree crafts. Scientists found out that from Greece, the knowledge of making filigree jewelries spread to India. Romans also adapted it and made several modifications. The Byzantine era also had a part in the making of filigree jewelries.

Whatever history may tell about the beauty of the filigree jewelry, scientists are continually studying its past. Today, fascination of filigreen items has become prevalent which includes the high demand of filigree jewelry stampings and antique filigree jewelry.