Have you ever noticed how high-street shops stock costume jewellery that is clearly inspired by jewellery of the past?
About a year ago we had a big cameo moment. For decades, nobody would be seen dead wearing a cameo, and then suddenly it became the must-have fashion accessory adorning every possible item of jewellery. In the blink of an eye the cameo went from grannies’ reject to cool teen accessory.
The fact is that if you did happen to own a genuine cameo, you were in luck. Most cameos are cut out of shell, in intricate designs making use of the different colour striations of the shell so as to render background and details more pictorially. Whether strung on a suitably thick ribbon or pinned to a shirt’s closed collar at the base of the neck, wearing a cameo showed you to be fashion savvy and conscious of how our Victorian ancestors wore their beloved cameos.
Wearing old jewellery is actually quite daring. First up, unless you’ve bought some of your own, you probably have to prise it loose from your mother’s protective grasp, while providing multiple assurances of how you will return it unscathed. Secondly, you must handle it with care – you are wearing an irreplaceable piece of art, often quite valuable in its own right.
On the plus side, not only does antique jewellery give your outfit a definite edge, but it creates that intriguing connection with the past and with the long-deceased characters who originally wore them to occasions one can only dream of nowadays. As you amble down Republic Street wearing your own lovely antique cameo, you just have to wonder if great aunt Edith once walked down the same street on her way to St John’s Co-Cathedral adorned with your very same cameo. If only jewellery could tell stories.
As I write this piece, I conduct a random survey. I message a group of friends asking why they don’t wear old jewellery. Instant replies hit back. I do! I do! So I ask why. Many of them say that after seeing Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti’s recent exhibition of jewellery, they dug into their family treasure chests and decided that if similar antique jewellery pieces were good enough to feature in an exhibition, then they were definitely worth wearing. That is the point of an exhibition and certainly was part of the reason for Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti’s display – to educate the public about old jewellery worn in Malta in the past, show what beautiful and artistic objects old jewellery pieces are, and make the point that they are certainly worthy of appreciation and preservation.
The trick with wearing old jewellery is not to go overboard. One stunning piece is enough to give an outfit the necessary edge. Old jewellery creates a focal point and chances are it will become the conversation piece of the evening. One can be creative and wear old jewellery in an unusual way, changing its original purpose without damaging or altering it in any way.
Old mother of pearl rosary beads, for example, look superb worn as necklaces. An old gold cross, strung on a modern pearl choker, is equally stunning. Antique filigree, for which the Maltese islands became justly renowned in the 19th century, can also be worn to great effect. Filigree is incredibly intricate, often encrusted with tiny pearls, making each piece a real work of art. Old earrings of filigree that were separated from their twin in the distant past, can easily be worn as pendants or integrated into a brooch. Although this might not be exactly kosher, at least it means that the piece survives and can still be worn and enjoyed.
The same goes for men’s jewellery. Nothing is more classy than wearing a vintage collectible wristwatch. Half-hidden under the cuff, it is a subtle reference to history that you can carry around with you. In terms of value, if chosen carefully, such a piece can be a solid investment, the value of which will be rising even while you derive pleasure from wearing it.
Gran spinat buttons – slightly domed gold discs adorned with tiny balls of gold granulation – can be worn in pairs as cufflinks. Gran spinat or granulation is another marvel produced by Malta’s goldsmiths in the past. It was made for centuries, but nowadays very few still produce these exceptionally fine pieces locally. Gran spinat buttons can sometimes go back to the Knights of St John’s period, as can be attested from the marks on the underside of their domed body.
Scarf pins and signet rings for men are harder to carry off and fewer occasions nowadays require such finery. On rare events – such as weddings – grooms often wear antique pieces passed down through the generations. At a pinch, even fob watches attached to a facetted gold watch chain, and which were highly prized by the Maltese in the past, can be worn. A scarf pin pinned to the cravat would not be amiss, but as ever, moderation in the amount of pieces worn together, is key.
Investing in old jewellery can be a pleasurable pursuit. The thrill of the hunt in sourcing and acquiring that rare find is followed by the joy of wearing these pieces. They make you look good while the value of your investment continues to rise.
You will also potentially be saving a work of art from the melting pot. We’ve all heard one too many horror stories of old gold jewellery of historic value being melted down in exchange for cash.
Francesca Balzan is an art historian who has specialised in the history of jewellery in Malta. She has published Jewellery in Malta – Treasures from the Island of the Knights (FPM, 2009), which won the National Book Prize for Historical Research, and curated Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti’s exhibition Vanity, Profanity & Worship: Jewellery from the Maltese Islands, held at the Casino Maltese, Valletta.