350 Words for Jewellery

Our language shapes our understanding of jewellery today. The terms used always resonate with certain expectations, values, and messages. Not infrequently, the words can be traced back across continents and over millennia. Rarely enough do we make ourselves aware of these universals that span the globe. For a contemporary form of expression in jewellery today, it is, therefore, worthwhile to know our linguistically deeply anchored frame of reference: the typically human pleasure in beautiful, rare, and precious objects (e.g. gioièllo). Their role in our body consciousness (e.g. schmuck) and their very concrete use to enhance our attractiveness (e.g. paramento). We wear jewellery as a symbol of our spirituality (e.g. kosmos), our wealth (e.g. rota), and our status (e.g. ornament). Likewise, jewellery serves as a means of communication (e.g. bijoux) and as a link between sometimes distant cultures (e.g. tachshit). Or it bears witness to the love between two people (e.g. ehe).

Why do we make and wear jewellery to this day? How do we show ourselves as Homo decorans and Homo decoratus? Where do we discover the transition between make-up and jewellery (e.g. pušk̨is)? What is the significance of colour and light effects in jewellery (e.g. decoration)? Let's talk about it!
On 192 pages, the etymology of approx. 350 terms are examined from the point of view of designers. Photos of jewellery artists active today illustrate that the framing of jewellery terms is still valid today. The lexical section comprises 88 pages with terms and their derivations from about 75 living and historical languages.


Mentoring: Dr. Marian Vanhaeren und Prof. Dr. Wulf Schiefenhövel
Philosophic Mentor: Tassilo Pyko
Design: Stefan Vogt, Diessen.
Translation: Steffen Schmidt.
Edition: 1000 ex.
Image rights: Barbara Schmidt + the photographers indicated in each case Copyright: © Barbara Schmidt MA, Munich.
German Version ISBN: 978-3-9820512-3-9