Completely unique this beaded Lota ring features a large polished central round blue glass stone, surrounded by blue and white beads. Palizzi Jewellery originates from the toe of Italy. These beautifully crafted items are truly unique, allowing you to stand out from the crowd, anywhere.
Creator Adriana says “Palizzi is a different brand of jewellery. We steer away from easily identifiable trends and place more value in creativity and expression. Each piece, from earrings to necklaces is a unique handmade product arid so it is easy to view Palizzi jewellery as being wearable art. The use of completely natural and often recycled materials further consolidates the synergy with nature and the environment that Palizzi represents.The area in Southern Italy which Palizzi calls its home has historically been rife with artistic culture. Palizzi follows in the footsteps of the many artists and artisans who have nurtured this tradition into a way of life.
In a fashion and design landscape where many trends appear the same and concepts blend into one another, Palizzi aims to make a unique mark. The colours and shapes are unmistakably inspired by Mediterranean landscapes and cultures that made this part of Italy so artistic. The use of crochet technique with recycled copper brass or silver wire creates complex interlaced structures. Into these semi-precious stones crystals, pearls, natural vintage and recycled minerals are fixed in an intricate process.”
Palizzi is one of only two places in Italy where what is effectively a Greek dialect is spoken. Learn more about this ancient place here.
historical Rings
Rings are probably the most personal of jewellery items, after all we give Wedding rings with the intention of lifelong use. Proving authenticity by sealing documents in wax using rings inscribed with the owners initials still takes place. Many rings feature Inscriptions engraved with an important message on the inside.
Ring of Cheops
One of the oldest rings still in existence is the Ring of Cheops. It was originally thought to be the ring of Egyptian Pharoah Khufu, who was responsible for the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. In the traditional chronology of Egypt that would date it to around 2300BC in the 4th dynasty. (Although other distinguished Archaeologists argue that the chronology is wrong)*. However contemporary research shows it probably belonged to a priest, Neferibre, and probably dates from the 6th Century BC. None the less the inscription is the cartouche of hieroglyphs for Cheops and it is very old and is made of 21 carat gold.
The Chequers Ring
The Chequers ring does not derive it’s name from it’s design. Instead it resides at Chequers, country retreat of British Prime Ministers. However, it was actually made for Queen Elizabeth 1st. Made from mother of pearl with inlaid diamonds and rubies, if you study it carefully you can see “ER” on the bezel. Opening the bezel reveals two miniature portraits, one of Elizabeth herself and the other is thought to be of her mother, Ann Boleyn.
Empress Josephine Ring
If you asked Josephine Beauharnais, what first attracted her to diminutive artillery officer Napoleon Bonaparte, what might she have replied ? That she simply foresaw a great future with him, maybe or perhaps she was persuaded by the engagement ring. The “you and me”, setting of the sapphire and diamond in her ring still looks so romantic ! Napoleon bought this ring in about 1795, even through he was not rich nor as powerful as he would become. Sadly they divorced in 1810 and Napoleon met his Waterloo a few years later before dying a prisoner of the British on the Island of St Helena in 1821.
Ring Culture
Rings play a major part in culture, they play a prominent role as a ‘MacGuffin’* in books, flim and music. The Lord of the Rings, the trilogy by JRR Tolkien is perhpas the most famous book (or film) series. These books are modern classics and took around 12 years to write. Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung covers 4 operas that take around 15 hours to perform and took 26 years to write.
In the world of pop music, “Ring RIng” reached No32 in the UK singles chart in 1973. OK, so this was about waiting for a phone call and does not really belong here. That said, it’s interesting as it was the first ABBA single. Consequently “Waterloo” the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest Winner, was not their first success. However they performed “Ring Ring” under the name of “Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida”. The following year swapping the anglicised “Frida” for “Anni-Frid” and the order of their initials, ABBA were born. More recently, Ariana Grande’s single 7-RIngs, a huge worldwide hit, features re-working of Favourite Things from The Sound of Music. I don’t like the “money solves all your problems” message and it’s not the best reworking of a financial song. For my money Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani is a better reworking of a song from a show.
*See David Rohl’s fascinating book on the subject; “Pharoahs & Kings”
*MacGuffin – a word coined by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930s for a device that drives a story on but is not part of it. An early example in literature would be be The Holy Grail in Arthurian Legend.
See the collection of rings availalbe from Abrahams Store, here.
