For J-is-for-Jewelry, I’d like to invite you to engage in some worldbuilding with me: Caleyena jewelry.
The Calenyena are one of the two major nations/socioethnic groups (that doesn’t appear to be a term but I don’t know why not) on the continent of Reiassan in my fantasy setting by the same name.
The Calenyena (and the proto-Calenyena, back in Homeland) have 5 major time periods I’ve touched on: Before they encountered the Tabersi (proto-Bitrani), during the time when they were trying to live with the Tabersi, the “sword and sorcery” era on Reiassan, the Rin-and-Girey era, and the Steampunk era, where Edally Academy is set.
For this, let’s focus primarily on the last two time periods, since I’ve written the most in those two times.
Things I know about these times:
They have only the Bitrani, the island people, and the semi-independent island people to trade with; there is no contact with other continents. In the Rin-and-Girey time, they are often at war with the Bitrani & thus have to go to extreme lengths to GET to the island people, since the islands are in the south.
The north and mid-north, where the Calenyena live, are wood-poor; there is more wood in the south, much of it mangrove- and teak-style.
They have lots of mountains: mining exists.
They have glass-blowing skill and technique and lots of sea-side beach.
Their primary garments are a tunic, often buttoned over one collarbone or, later, down one side of the front, over long pants or a skirt.
They love bright colors, the brighter and more colors the better.
Their technology in the Rin-Girey era is vaguely height-of-Roman-Empire in in the steampunk era is, ah, vaguely steampunk.
So: Thoughts on their styles and types of jewelry in both those eras? Questions?
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Cabochoned gems for the earlier period and cut gems for the later one. I suspect they would like brilliant cut coloured gems.
Do a google image search for southwestern jewelry mosaic. The red, white, black, and turquoise stones are all natural, but thanks to dying stones the color pallette has expanded. I like the strictly geometric designs myself, but images can be made too. I think your color and pattern loving people would love the technique. They may be able to dye stone with aether, and would need mining and smelting. Wood is scarce in the southwestern deserts. Dichrotic glass is also stunning, as are stained glass mosaics which can be done in miniature for jewelry.
Ooh, I have a few pieces like that. You’re right, they’d love the turquoise.
Yes, and the green malachite… And the ability to dye things purple and neon yellow, and then make a mosiac…. It seemed very like your colorful people.
Neat idea! One can do something similar with natural and dyed wood, for a variation that’d probably be lighter and less expensive in jewelry … and/or show up on furniture.
Ooh! Although wood is rather rare in the north, they DO use it for furniture, and probably WOULD dye it. Because All The Bright Colors.
Mosaic brooches, buttons, pendants, headbands, tiaras, and so on, either of stones or of glass. I think the huge array of colors available in smalti would appeal. Have they developed heraldry? (It appeared in Europe in the early 1100s.) If so, everyone having their own emblem — plenty of contrast, lots of opportunity for colors that would make a modern herald scream — could be a Thing. It could also work into clothing. Given the wars, military decorations are probably also common. Do social norms allow the wearing of such decorations if they’re not on the uniform? The ancient Romans sometimes wore their military decorations (phalera) either directly on their armor, or on a harness over their armor. A similar thing would work for any society that hadn’t yet developed camouflage. Do they have a method for coloring metal? The thing that comes to mind is the variety of colors in niobium, but per Wikipedia that’s an electrical anodization process. (Have they developed electricity enough to have that level of control?)
Smalti – Yes, that definitely suits them. Heraldry – I’d have to ponder that one. Possibly based on their Seven Beyond Useful/Nonuseful Things (sky, sun, moons… forget the rest atm) Military decorations are a brilliant idea. And, yes, they’re such a merit-based culture that I’m sure they wear their military awards when out of uniform. Re. coloring metal – they might! That might be neat as a lost “aetheric” art… Awesome ideas, thanks!
(and no, I’m not to the part of their timeline where they get electricity properly yet)