ALL ABOUT PENDANTS & ITS ORIGIN Pendants are the oldest forms of jewellery. While today the pendants have evolved with time into a very intricate & precious piece of jewellery, in the early times it used to be as simple as a shell or a stone. When it comes to pendant design, it has dramatically evolved too. The etymology of the word pendant comes from the Latin word pendere which means ‘to hang down’. Pendants usually come in the form of loose-hanging piece of jewellery attached by a loop to a necklace. The necklace may be called as ‘pendant necklace’. Although, the pendant is a separate entity in the necklace, its correlated design with the necklace makes it difficult to treat it as separate items. Sometimes, there are earrings with a piece hanging down, those earrings are called pendant earrings. Apart from necklace & earrings, pendants are used with various jewellery pieces like the bracelets and brooches. The origins are traced back to the stone age where pendants were not just an ornament but was used for identification and protection purposes. There are various types of pendants including lockets, amulets, lockets that open to an image or various other things. If differentiated on the basis of composition, there could be a gold pendant, a diamond pendant or a pearl pendant. Gold pendant designs are popular and are constantly updated, whereas the diamond and pearl pendants have remained as classics since ages. The different forms of pendants serve different purposes. • Medallion: A medallion is a piece of jewellery that has a medal and is often worn as a pendant. The medal usually represents an award or recognition. • Amulet: Amulets are known to dispel dangers away and hence also called good luck charms. It is worn around the neck or the hand as a pendant. They confer protection upon the one who possesses it. • Locket: A locket is a small object that can open & often has a sentimental value. A locket usually holds a photograph and is worn around the neck. Sometimes it could hold something else like a lock of hair which has emotional value. Occasionally, a locket is also worn around the wrist using a bracelet. • Talisman: Similar to an amulet, a talisman also has supernatural powers. It wards off evil and offers protection. The difference between the two is that apart from defensive
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purposes, talisman brings some benefits too. Probably a power of some sort. It is worn as a pendant or a ring. • Functional Pendants: Functional pendants are pendants that are more than a pendant. They perform different functions like USB pen drive, or a lock or a key or probably the whistle. As time evolves, pendants will perform other functions too, like a camera or a microphone too. Keeping the history and theory aside, pendants as an ornament are pretty much used by everyone. The market demand leads to constant innovation in styles and design. In India, silver and gold pendants are very popular. Pendants are often bought as gifts and hence there are imitation jewellery stores selling pendants at a very nominal price.
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