Jingle Jangle Jewellery Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nassarius Snail Shells

Nassarius Snail Shells are thought to be the earliest form of jewellery and were worn as necklaces as far back as 100,000 years ago. Nassarius shells have been found near Grottes de Pigeons in Morocco and in Israel and Algeria. They have also been found as far down as South Africa where they were discovered in the Blombos Cave, on the Southern Cape Coast.

It is also speculated that these shells were the earliest known medium of barter.

Answer: Alexandria, Egypt

The first Cameos were found in Alexandria, Egypt and were originally figures carved into rock to record events and information.

After that they were made from the sardonyx or carnelian shell which is divided into two parts and the thicker part is used for cameos. They were then carved with a bullino which was a traditional carving tool and was invented by Italian carvers.

Torre del Greco, a small town in Italy, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, is the most famous for producing cameos and there is still today a large community which hand carve cameos.

Answer: Galway, Ireland

The Claddagh ring which is called that because it is thought to have originated in Claddagh, Galway, Ireland and this design has been used by this community for over 400 years.

One popular version of the origination of this ring is that Richard Joyce, an Irish goldsmith, created the Claddagh ring.

Another version, although it could be a myth, is that Margaret Joyce, known as Margaret of the Bridges, due to the number of bridges she built, was checking up on work on a bridge in 1661 when a gold ring was dropped into her lap by an eagle. The story is that some people believe that this ring could have been the original Claddagh ring.

Answer: Nieolloware

Nieolloware, produced in Siam (now Thailand) were popular as gifts bought by American soldiers serving in the Vietnam war to send home to their wives or girlfriends.

After baking the piece of jewelery in an open fire, a silversmith would add tiny details by hand and sometimes silver filigree for extra ornamentation. The most popular design displayed Mekkala, the Goddess of Lighting.

Answer: William Spratling

William Spratling, an American and architecture professor went to Taxco, Mexico to study the culture in 1920. Taxco, being known for its wealth of silver, led William Spratling to apprentice young silversmiths with talent and further develop their skills, thus earning him the title of The Father of Mexican Silver.

Taxco silver jewellery is beautiful and unique in that Aztec and Mayan images from temples and pottery shards were used for the designs.

Answer: The fossilized resin from trees

The resin is formed by the vascular tissue of the tree and released in pockets in response to injury or climate change and is not the sap of the tree, which is a common misconception.

The origins of Baltic Amber start around 45 million years ago when Northern and central Europe were covered in dense forest. As the resin fossilized it was common for small insects, leaves and seeds to become trapped inside the sticky resin.

So if you're lucky enough to have a piece of Amber with, say, a fly embedded in it, you are looking at a fly which is certainly a great deal older than your grandfather!

Amber is not only used to make jewellery, but if heated under the correct conditions then Oil of Amber is produced and was used medicinally for a variety of treatments. Oil of Amber is also used in the perfume industry.

Answer: Prince Harry

Prince Harry chose to keep his mother's engagement ring while Prince William chose to keep her Cartier Tank Francaise watch as a memento.

It is not known whether Prince William asked for the ring or whether Prince Harry offered it to the soon to be engaged couple.

Prince William chose to give Kate Middleton the ring as he wanted his mother to be at the wedding in spirit.

The ring was designed by Gerrard Jewellers and is an 18-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 smaller diamonds.

Answer: Enamel painted metal

Cloisonne is a French word meaning to be cut off or compartmentalised. The technique originated in Egypt and was enamel with wires separating the colours. One of the earliest jewellery pieces to be made from Cloisonne was a pectoral found in the tomb of Princess Sithathoriunet, the daughter of Senusret II who was the fourth Pharoah of the Twelth Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned from 1897 to 1878 BC.

Answer: True

True! However grotesque it may look to us, this practice is still carried out today in some of the Ethiopian tribes and consists of inserting a wood or clay disk into a piercing in the lip. The four front teeth are sometimes extracted to fit the lower lip disc.

Thanks but NO thanks!

Answer: Maoris

The Hei Tiki was usually carved from greenstone, such as Jade, by ancient jewellers but bone and wood were sometimes also used.

In the Maori language "Hei" means suspended around the neck and "Tiki" is the name given to all human figures. Tiki is also the name of the Maori God responsible for the creation of life.

Although, the origins of the Hei Tiki are obscure it is believed to be a fertility symbol and one myth states that the very first one was made for Hina te Iwaiwa, the Maori Moon Goddess.

Another belief is that the Hei Tiki contains the spirit of a still-born child, believed to be very powerful spirits as they were cheated of life.

Hei Tiki are considered family treasures and heirlooms to be passed down throughout the generations. Some are even given personal names.

They are sold throughout New Zealand including cheap plastic Hei Tiki for the tourists!