The main material used was silver, which the people endowed with a sacred purpose, it was considered “clean” and was supposed to protect wearers from “the evil eye".
Gilding was used only on separate parts of the product, or foil-like thin gold plates were attached to the metal or mastic base. Lal (ruby, a garnet or any red stone), beryl from colorless to yellow and green shades, pearls, carnelians, turquoise (or turquoise imitating mastic), and corals were used for inserts and pendants. According to ancient beliefs, each one, depending on their color and quality, symbolized various good wishes such as wishes for prosperity and wellbeing, health and love, fertility, and wishes for a large family. The combination of different stones and minerals in a piece of jewellery was believed to strengthen its magical quality. Often in jewellery, even expensive jewellery, simple colored glass was inserted as an addition to the “color magic” of the stones, since the emphasis was not so much on quality and cost of the materials, but rather on the sacred meaning of the decoration. By the 20th century, jewellers, as well as jewellery wearers, were not consciously aware of the meaning behind its designs. However, the traditional symbols that were passed on by generations of masters created the unique appearance of Uzbek jewellery.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Jewelry of Uzbekistan in the World Collections" (XLV volume) from the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
