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About Ukrainian jewelry

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Traditional Ukrainian jewelry

Ukrainian women have long strived for beauty and embodied their creativity in the creation of neck jewelry, among which the most common were: corals, patsyorky, zgardas, dukats and silyankas.

View the series of articles about traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine of the XIX-XXI centuries.

Ethnic jewelry in Ukraine: from crafts to professional and amateur creativity

What is contemporary folk goldsmithing, jewelry, and mosyazhnytstvo? In which social networks do their traditional codes, man-made essence, and original techniques find a home? It is equally important to find out the challenges posed by new technological possibilities and, consequently, new aesthetics. In particular, the impact of digital technologies on design in the field of ethnic jewelry.

Decorative metal: metal elements of traditional ukrainian neck jewelry

View our brochure at the link: Decorative metal: metal elements of traditional ukrainian neck jewelry or in PDF-file: Decorative metal: metal elements of traditional ukrainian neck jewelry.

History of metal necklaces in Ukraine

The history of ornamental jewelry in folk art reflects the history of the development of the Ukrainian people, its cultural and religious traditions, the surrounding nature and traditional crafts.

Traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine

View our brochure at the link: Traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine of the XIX-XX centuries or in PDF-file: Traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine.

Crosses, small icons and molytovky in Ukraine

A lunnytsia is a crescent-shaped amulet jewelry with the tips facing down. As early as the 9th and 10th centuries in Kievan Rus, craftsmen made pendants of various shapes (round, oval, lily-shaped, cross-shaped) from gold and silver, bronze, yellow copper, tin, and lead.

Zgardas, cheprags and shelests in Ukraine

Zgardas are women's neck and chest jewelry with cross-shaped or round pendants made of bronze or brass, which were common in the Hutsul region and Bukovyna.

Lunnytsias and figured pendants in Ukraine

A lunnytsia is a crescent-shaped amulet jewelry with the tips facing down.

As early as the 9th and 10th centuries in Kievan Rus, craftsmen made pendants of various shapes (round, oval, lily-shaped, cross-shaped) from gold and silver, bronze, yellow copper, tin, and lead.

Dukachs, ducats and salbas in Ukraine

In the eastern part of Ukraine and Volyn, starting in the 17th century, dukachs, or minted medallions or gold coins, which hung on chains, were suspended from a brooch-bow, or framed with decorative elements, played a major role in the decorative complex of jewelry.

Lemkivshchyna ethnic region in western Ukraine

Breast ornaments consisted of coral necklaces or its imitations (5-15 strands), glass red ("kalenky"), white ("tinsel"), green, golden, blue, dark purple, black and other colors and beaded collars ("kryvulki", "kryshy"). Crosses were attached to the necklace. Lemko beaded collars were wider than similar decorations from Boikivshchyna and Podillia, their width was up to 15-20 cm.

Nadsyannya ethnic region in western Ukraine

The main component was a coral necklace made of mostly large in diameter coral beads or its imitation. Such necklace had from 2 to 15 or more strands. The beads in the rows were laid smaller at the edges and larger in the middle, the size of the beads increased from the top to the bottom row.

Boykivshchyna and Pidhirya ethnic regions in western Ukraine

In the complex of Boyko costumes (and the costumes of Pidhirya), the chest ornaments included coral beads and their imitations, colorful glass beads and copper crosses that were strung between the beads ("monista"). Large crosses were worn on a separate lace or ribbon. Necklaces of coral and its imitations consisted of 9-15 strings at a distance from each other.

Western Polissya and Volyn ethnic regions in western Ukraine

Neck ornaments were based on beads ("korali", "karali"): coral, amber, clay, multi-colored glass ("patsyorky" made of blown glass) and beads, among which a cross was worn on a lace or braid. Coral necklace - mostly 2-3 strands, richer women wore 5-10 strands ("stalok").

Transcarpathia ethnic region in western Ukraine

In general, the complex of women's jewelry in the Transcarpathian costume consisted of a coral necklace or its imitation, which was worn in 3-4 rows, a necklace of small glass beads, reminiscent of pearls, which was put in 5-6 rows on the neck. There were also beaded decorations - small ribbons that fitted around the neck, syliankas in the form of round collars and openwork braided laces.

Norhtern Bukovyna ethnic region in western Ukraine

In Northern Bukovyna, the main components were necklaces made of coral, glass - "pysany patsyorky", silver coin ornaments - "salby" and beaded jewelry. Zgardas and silver dukachs were also widespread in some places.

Western Podillya ethnic region in western Ukraine

Neck ornaments were necklaces made of small corals ("patsyorky") - coral, imitation coral, glass, imitation pearls, coin necklaces, as well as beaded ornaments - monisto, ribbon gerdan, ribbon gerdan with pendants, corner gerdan and syliankas - grid collars-kryzas.

Opillya ethnic region in western Ukraine

Pokuttya ethnic region in western Ukraine

Among the breast ornaments the main components were: coral necklace and its imitations, colored glass necklace, "painted patsyorky". Of the pendants, a single coin pendant on a chain or lace was used, which was placed in the center of the breast ornaments.

Hutsul ethnic region in western Ukraine

The basis of the complex of jewelry were: metal beads (with cross-shaped pendants - "zgardas", with bells - "shelests", with coins - "ducats"), painted and inlaid smalt beads ("painted patsyorky"), coral and colored glass.

Dukachi and Ducats in western Ukraine

The compositional center of coral necklaces was often a dukach - a metal product based on a coin or medal, which was woven with intricate metal details: leaves, flowers, lace "bows" and chains. Dukachi of the simplest form - round medallions or coins with a minimum of decoration - were found in Lviv region, Western Polissya and Volyn.

Necklace made of glass in western Ukraine

The most picturesque among women's breast jewelry was a necklace made of "Venetian" glass, which was called "painted patsyorky". This necklace consisted of round beads of smalt or glass of different colors with ornaments in inlay technique. The beads were made in Venice and specially delivered to the Eastern Carpathians.

Necklace of amber in western Ukraine

Among women's neck ornaments in Ukraine, the favorite and popular in the XIX and XX centuries was a necklace made of amber, which was mined in Volyn (in Dubrovytsia and Ushomyr). Ukrainian amber varied in color: it was dark brown, yellow, red-yellow, orange, whitish-yellow, as well as in transparency: it was transparent, translucent, cloudy and opaque.

Beaded jewelry in Ukraine

Beaded necklaces harmoniously merged into the structure of folk costumes in Ukraine. Since the nineteenth century, the production of beaded jewelry has been widespread in ethnic regions: Hutsulshchyna, Pokuttya, Northern Bukovyna, Western and Eastern Podillia, Opillya, Pidhirya, Nadsyannya, Boikivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna, as well as Volyn, Polissya and Middle Prydniprovia.

Hutsul zgardas in western Ukraine

Zgardas are women's neck and chest ornaments with cross-shaped pendants made of bronze or brass. The crosses were connected by metal elements or strung on a cord between beads of Venetian glass ("pysany patsyorky"), coral, amber or other materials.

Coral jewelry in Ukraine

It is well known that Ukrainian women have long strived for beauty and embodied their creative talent in the creation of necklaces, among which the most widespread throughout Ukraine was a coral necklace - red, orange and pink.

View our brochure "Traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine of the XIX-XX centuries" at the link: Traditional neck jewelry of western Ukraine

Traditional neck jewelry 2023.pdf

View our brochure "Decorative metal: metal elements of traditional Ukrainian neck jewelry" at the link: Decorative metal: metal elements

Brochure Decorative metal.pdf

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