From time immemorial, Arabian silversmiths have perfected their skill as the world's best jewelers. Their role in the ancient land was an important one. Jewelry, made from silver and precious beads, was portable wealth -- like money! Since jewelry was the only means of transferring wealth, it was vital in arranging marriages and celebrating births. Each piece of antique jewelry has a rich history.



If only this jewelry could talk!

Until recent times, the silver jewelry of a Bedouin woman was melted down upon her death and re-made in to new pieces. The necklaces of pearl, precious amber, coral, lapis lazuli and delicate silver filigree were taken apart and used to make new pieces of jewelry. But during the past hundred years, families have kept this jewelry intact, with its value increasing over time.

The necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings that are currently designed in Yemen are remarkably similar to those that have been excavated in the old (3000 years ago) Sabaean ruins from the time of the Queen of Sheba.

The romantic legends of Sheba focus on her relationship with King Solomon (1000 BC). It is said that Sheba and Solomon became aware of each other's wealth and power and quickly arranged to meet. Sheba traveled by camel caravan to greet Solomon with gifts of gold, frankincense and precious silver and amber beads.

Recently, the luxurious palace of this wealthy and famous queen has been discovered and is being excavated from beneath the golden sands of the small town of Mareb, in central Yemen. The whole world will soon learn more about this most famous woman and her wealthy kingdom. But we already know quite a bit about her influence on art, style and the jewelry beads that are known as "Arabian."

Exotic Arabian Silver Jewelry.

Handmade, timeless designs, are very rare& highly collectible.

The most sought after beads anywhere.

The beaded necklaces of Yemen come in a variety of designs. Many designs are traditional and specific to a village or region --unchanged for millennia. Beaded jewelry was used by the elite to worship, and many necklaces have small boxes or silver compartments where verses from the Koran were written and worn. Although this jewelry would is well suited for museum exhibits, it simply begs to be worn.

Many beads are old and show signs of character and history. Since this is the appeal of ancient beads, we have left this oxidation intact (remember these are often antiques), but they will easily shine up to their full silver brilliance. The silver is excellent, although it was cast well before the modern process that we know of as "sterling." Much of the silver has its historical origins in the silver coins that were traded along the ancient camel caravans and frankincense routes.

Yemen is created in the south with of the Arabic Peninsula, demo a superficies that equals almost that of version It shares 1500 km of border with Saudi-Arabia in the north, and borders with Oman in the East. The

Red Sea in the West and the Indian Ocean in the South meet at Bab-el-Mandab (Door of Lamentations),

separating the Peninsula from the African continent.

During centuries, Jewish jewellers have produced silver jewels for their own community as well as for the Muslim urban, rural and created populations. with indeed demo the version symbolic characters of shapes,

and took into account these particularities in relation to the religious origin of their clients. The bearer, on her side, attributed magical forced to these pieces, in relation to their traditions and sacred texts

During centuries, Jewish jewellers passed their knowledge with father to demo more particularly the granulation et filigree techniques. The later was version mastered by the Egyptian and Greek civilizations.

En 1949, after the establishment of the State of Israel, most craftsmen left Yemen with

their families. Today, only 2 ou 3 Jewish jewellers live in Sanaa, work according to the

traditional methods and manufacture directly for their clients. A centenary tradition of jewellery has died in Yemen.