They Call it 'Bling'! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bracteate

Bracteates are thin coins that were struck only on one side with the pattern showing through on the reverse side. Gold bracteates were commonly worn around the 6th century in northern areas of Europe. They were usually rimmed with beads and had permanent loop attached so that they could be worn around the neck hanging on a string.

Answer: Fibula

A fibula is an ancient style brooch last has been used for centuries to fasten clothing together. They have been made of a variety of materials, including precious metal, bone, ivory, and iron. The fanciest ones were sometimes jewel encrusted and highly valued. The fibula went out of use with the invention of the button.

Answer: Cuff links

Cufflinks have been worn for centuries in Europe and North America. They are used to secure the cuff of a shirt's sleeve. Originally, cuff links were too expensive for the average person. The industrial revolution made this piece of jewelry available to the general public.

They can be made of precious or semi-precious metal and any gemstones can be used for decoration. Cuff links are one of the few types of jewelry that are possibly more commonly worn by men than by women, although both do wear them.

Answer: Foot

Fancy shoe buckles bedecked with jewels have been in use since the mid 17th-century when the French court of King Louis XIV began wearing them. Bejeweled shoe buckles were considered a high fashion statement as well as a sign of wealth and prestige. Shoe buckles were made of many types of metal, but gold was not generally used due to its softness. Silver and brass were commonly used as were most types of precious stones, known at the time.

Answer: Livery collar

A livery collar or chain of office is a collar or heavy chain that was worn to identify that the wearer held a certain office/status/position. Usually a men's piece of jewelry, a livery collar was usually made of gold and might or might not have a pendant or symbol hanging from it.

These were very expensive pieces of jewelry and were worn as a symbol of status as opposed to being worn simply for their beauty.

Answer: Girdle

The jeweled belts worn in the late 16th century were properly called girdles. This type of jewelry was usually only worn by the aristocracy. This was a type of jewelry that often used semi-precious opaque stones such as pearl, or onyx and various metals.

The fanciest types were made to match the brilliant necklaces worn at the same time. Some girdles were attached around the waist and then hung down for as much as two feet. Fans, needle cases, and scissors were just a few of the daily items that were often attached to the girdle.

Answer: Torc

A torc, sometimes spelled torque, is a type of neck ring as opposed to a necklace. This was an ancient type of jewelry found in ancient Greece, Rome and Celtic cultures. It is thought by some scholars to represent that the wearer was a freeborn man as opposed to a slave. Matching rings were often worn around both the arms. Removal of this jewelry was usually very difficult and was often worn for life after being put on.

The other three options were breeds of horses.

Answer: False

This is false, the use of hair combs has been around for many centuries. While some were simply functional others were beautiful pieces of jewelry. During historical periods when sophisticated hairdos were in style, the decorative hair comb became a popular piece of jewelry. Combs have been made from ivory, bone, precious metal, wood, and some types of stone.

Answer: False

This statement is completely false. This unusual ring is known as a puzzle ring and is actually made up of 4-12 separate rings. These interconnected rings have been around for centuries and their exact location of origin is a matter of scholarly dispute.

The puzzle ring is sometimes called a Turkish wedding ring. The idea was that if the female took off this ring in an attempt to cheat on her spouse they would be unable to put it back together before the husband noticed.

Answer: To help the wearer get pregnant

Charm bracelets have been worn millennia. They were worn as protection from evil spirits, and to show the status of the wearer. They were also worn as a type of identification for the Gods in the afterlife. They helped these Gods lead the wearer to the proper status level in the afterlife.

While there may have been fertility charms the bracelet itself was not a fertility symbol nor worn in order to achieve pregnancy.