Photo Courtesy of Bulgari
Every culture in the world has its own interpretation of the snake symbol, from ancient times up until now. This natural creature has hypnotized women through centuries and its history in the jewelry world is definitely worth the highlight. In this edition, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this creature’s celebrated symbolism.
From Ancient Egypt to modern Native American cultures, the snake has been considered a being of power and its skin shedding makes it a symbol of regeneration, rebirth or transformation. For a more detailed round-up, it represented royalty and deity to the Pharaohs of Egypt, and Ancient Celts used it as a symbol of secret knowledge, while it symbolized fertility in most ancient cultures, guardianship in Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient Cambodia, and luck in battle in Norse. As this meaningful creature was carried down through the ages, it became a symbol of wisdom and eternity.
Snake-shaped jewelry has been popular from ancient Greek and Roman times, as Romans had different interpretations ranging from everlasting love to a symbol of wisdom. In fact, Prince Albert found inspiration in the Roman interpretation and the ring he offered Queen Victoria on their engagement, one that embodied a continuous snake with an emerald – her birthstone – set at the center or its head. The Victorians also loved serpents; the fashionable women of that time used to wear snake jewelry in every imaginable way, especially as rings and brooches. The Belle Epoque brought more snakes to the jewelry world, as well as America and England. In the Art Nouveau period, the snake continued to be a source of inspiration for jewelry designs and in the 20th century, houses such as Cartier, Boucheron and Bulgari introduced a new interpretation of the serpent into the industry using their own aesthetics.
Speaking of the present moment, Bulgari made the snake as iconic as it may get through its stunning Serpenti collection and keeps introducing modern-day jewels that speak to every fashionable woman, while Cartier used the snake to create an opulent ring from “Cartier Fauna and Flora” collection.
Now that you know all about this iconic and timeless symbol, you might want to include it in your jewelry collection!
Mirella Haddad
