Mythology and History

The use of gold in jewelry making goes back centuries. People have always loved to adorn their bodies with jewelry. Before the discovery of metals, they made handmade jewelry from shells, feathers and bones. And while the styles and techniques for making jewelry have evolved and undergone many changes over the centuries, the reasons why we wear jewelry still remain the same. Jewelry, especially gold and gemstone jewelry, makes us feel beautiful and adorns our appearance.

Jewelry has always been an excellent carrier of symbolism. There has almost always been and still is some message that people wish to convey through the jewelry they wear. Just consider that in modern times most jewelry sales are related to engagement and wedding jewelry. Next are the purchases that are made so that we can seal an important event in our lives with a piece of gold jewelry with or without gemstones. Such as, the achievement of a personal goal, a promotion at work, a degree or graduation, the birth of a child, etc. 

 

Making gold jewelry

 

At Mil-Or boutique, every piece of jewelry we make is a special project. The manufacturing process begins in different ways, depending on the object in question, which is usually handmade gold jewelry. 

Often, because of our passion and our speciality in gemstones, the jewelry starts from the gemstone itself. Once our gemologist experts have carefully selected the stone, we analyze its characteristics and choose the type of jewelry that suits that stone based on both appearance and usability. We then develop the construction plan, which includes the jewelry design, the metal the stone matches, the type of binding and the other stones if any. 

An alternative way to start a construction for a gold gemstone jewelry is to start with the design, that is, to capture an idea for a jewelry piece on paper. And then choose the gemstones that best match that design.

At boutique Mil-Or we treat every piece of jewelry with the proper respect and the same attention to detail. Whether it’s the solitaire ring with the diamond of your dreams, or a keepsake pendant containing a shell you found on the beach, our highly trained staff, gem consultants and network of jewelers work together to provide you with both a unique item and an unforgettable experience.

 

Gold jewelry for the hand

 

A key category of gold jewelry that you will find in our store is, of course, hand jewelry. 

Rings

 

Rings are the most important jewelry for every person. Along with pendants that because of their position on our body when we wear them we keep them close to our heart, rings are one of the types of jewelry that at any time we can look at and remind us of our happy moments.

Ring styles

 

The choices in this genre are also infinite, but we can group them into categories. Solitaire rings are those that have a gemstone, usually a diamond, but it can be any other stone. In contrast, multi-stone rings are those that carry multiple stones, often of the same kind or two kinds. Rosette rings are those that are flower-shaped with a stone in the center surrounded by smaller stones. Series rings, or eternity rings, are those that have equal-sized gemstones strung in a row and can be either half-colored (with stones only at the top of the ring) or full-colored (with stones all around the circumference). 

Wedding rings, are the couple’s engagement and wedding rings, which are usually gold, white gold or two-tone rings without stones. Chevalier (cavalier) rings are those worn on the little finger and are usually either flat or pompadour rings with a fair amount of height. Gold rings without stones are usually modern rings with large surfaces and finishes that can be patent, chevron, satin, and others. Cocktail rings are large, eye-catching rings often with elaborate designs and large volumes and usually feature large colored gemstones. 

 

Bracelets

 

Gold bracelets in general can be divided into two families , chain (broken) and hard (cuff) bracelets. Broken bracelets include gold or white gold bracelets without stones, often shaped like a chain (link bracelets), as well as link bracelets or tennis bracelets. That is, those bracelets that have diamonds or other gemstones carefully matched for size, cut, shape and colour and tied in a row.

Hard gold bracelets, also known as cuff bracelets, include bangle bracelets which are those that stand close to the wrist and have a clasp and elbow that opens to fit the jewelry to the hand.  Another type is the cuff bracelets which are hard U-shaped bracelets, that is, without a clasp but with the bottom open where it is applied to the hand. These are worn either on the wrist or higher up on the arm of the hand. There are also bangle bracelets, which are cuffs without an opening or clasp and are worn on the wrist from the tip of the hand.

 

 Jewelry for the neck

 

Let’s look at some basic categories of neck jewelry.

Pendants

 

Early in our history, women often wore neck jewelry that was meant to attract a mate, or was thought to increase fertility. Over the years, this pendant became the “lucky pendant” for all sorts of favors, such as attracting money or protecting the one wearing it in war or in daily life. Thus was born the well-known “lucky charm” which took different forms depending on the country we are in. One of the most famous such motifs is the evil eye with turquoise or other blue stone.   

Other pendants include solitaire pendants, rosette pendants, gold or white gold pendants of various shapes without stones, pendants with coloured gemstones, pendants with a monogram or name, or any other shape or symbol.

Crosses and amulets 

 

Often, the pendants we wear also take on the role of amulets, especially if we choose a pendant that is a symbol of our faith, such as a cross or a cross of Constantine. Crosses can be gold, white gold or two-tone without stones, or they may be set with diamonds or other precious stones. Constantine amulets are usually double-sided amulets, which have Constantine the Great and St. Helena on one side and the cross engraved with ICXC NIKA on the other.

 

Necklaces 

 

Necklaces are also an ancient type of jewelry. Their history begins with the shell necklaces that people made in prehistoric times and their march through the centuries has seen amazing choices in all ancient civilizations. Such as, the gold necklaces of Mesopotamian princesses and gold gemstone jewelry, the stunning gold necklaces in ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, and the multiple gold necklaces worn by the women of ancient Rome.

Today the choices in gold neck jewelry are endless and the styles are also numerous. We can divide them into two major categories, pendants and necklaces. That is, the motifs that are worn with a chain around the neck and the complete necklaces that do not require any other addition, respectively. In terms of material, gold neck jewelry can be made of 14K or 18K gold in yellow, white or pink, or a combination of these, without stones or with gemstones.

 

Ear jewelry

 

Gold earrings with diamonds, gemstones or plain, are among the gold jewelry that frame and adorn our face and add sparkle to every look. Earrings can be divided into pendants or attached to the lobe. 

There are also earrings for pierced or un-pierced ears, depending on the way they fit. Stud earrings, or pierced earrings with a hook are options for pierced ears, and there are also clip-on earrings that close and secure to the lobe without the need for a stud.

Stud earrings can be stud earrings with diamonds or other precious stones, rosettes, button earrings, pearl earrings, or any shape, symbol or motif.

Pendant earrings are those that start at the earlobe and hang along the neck. Some types of pendant earrings are chandelier earrings, which get their name from their resemblance to a chandelier because of their design. There are also dangle earrings, which are usually narrow and very long, and dangle earrings with motifs or coloured stones. Finally, we have hoops, which can be small and hugging the lobe, slightly dangling or very large, and made of yellow gold or white gold, with or without stones.

 

Utilitarian jewelry

 

Early in the history of jewelry we find the so-called utilitarian jewelry, which, apart from adding grace and beauty, had an important role in people’s dress, that of keeping their clothes in their proper place. Today, these jewels still exist, of course, but nowadays their role is decorative.

Pins

 

Pins are one of those jewelry pieces that were born out of the need for people to “tie” their clothes on their shoulders or chest. Today brooches are a very elegant addition to any style of dress and are worn on the lapel of a jacket or coat, on a tie or scarf, on the collar of a shirt or high neck of a blouse, or even in the hair as part of a formal look. The pins can be gold or white gold without stones, or can have diamonds and other precious stones.

Cufflinks

 

Cufflinks start out as a purely male accessory, useful for keeping the shirt cuff closed.  Today, cuff links are used as both men’s and women’s jewelry. There are different types of cuff links depending on how the two shanks are attached (chain, fixed metal shank, etc.). Cuff links may be plain gold or white gold, or may be set with diamonds or other precious stones and may be square, rectangular, round or other shaped.

Men’s jewelry

 

Men’s jewelry is usually simpler in design than women’s jewelry, as men often opt for more geometric designs and strict lines. Gold men’s jewelry naturally includes wedding rings, bracelets, chain or hard, rings that can be gold, white gold or two-tone, plain or embellished with diamonds and other gemstones, cufflinks and men’s crosses. 

Children’s jewelry

 

It is both a tradition and a social obligation to offer gold jewelry as a gift to a newborn child and to the new mother. This is a custom that goes back to the depths of our history and which, together with our wishes, wants us to “gold-plate” the baby, i.e. to give it a gold jewel for good luck. 

Children’s jewelry includes amulets, often with blue stones, peepers or turquoise which are embedded in gold safety pins, bracelets or hand IDs. Children can also be gifted gold earrings or pendants with a child’s motif, as well as a cross or constellation, which will accompany them throughout their lives and will be worn after they become adults. 

 

 Find the unique collection of gold jewelry in our online store or at Karolou Ntil 21, in Thessaloniki.