Chinese Jewelry

In ancient China, jewelry was worn by both men and women to represent wealth and nobility. Chinese culture valued silver and jade over gold, and held each material and subject matter with symbolic significance. These symbols were usually derived from puns, and included luck, health, love, prosperity, success, longevity, and fertility.

Bracelets, necklaces, hair pins, earrings, rings, and various headdresses and headbands were among the many different kinds of jewelry created in China. Ancient jewelry, particularly that of the royals, was buried with the deceased owners. As a result, much of these ancient works survived to modern day.

As trade increased on the Silk Road, so did the variety of materials used to create Chinese jewelry. Lapis lazuli, pearls, cloisonné, ivory, and glass beads were added to the repertoire of materials used to embellish jewelry. The more jewelry the wearer had, the more prestigious he or she was.

Quick Facts

• Throughout history, the Chinese paid close attention to the symbolism of color in jewelry. Blue kingfisher feathers, blue gems, and blue enameling were reserved for nobility only
• The art of kingfisher feather ornamentation for jewelry was painstaking and difficult. The feathers of the bird were carefully cut and inlaid using clear glue into silver. This art, called "tian tsui," is now banned
• Most Chinese jewelry pieces on the art market were created during the Victorian era in China to export to the West due to high demand