Looking for broad collar South African jewelry? Learn more about South African Jewelry broad collar styles…
The necklace is an ornament that goes back to the Stone Age and its origins are more than 40,000 years earlier than previous recorded finds. One of the most amazing collections was discovered in 2004 by scientists and archaeologist who were on an excavation dig in a South African cave. The discovery of 41 individual mollusks strung onto a string was considered a broad collar South African necklace dating back to 75,000 years ago. Prior to that, the oldest discovered necklace was thought to originate around 30,000 B.C.
Most of the necklaces in South Africa were constructed out of beads bones, stone, shells, animal teeth and claws. These were easily available items and mainly part of the hunt.
Today the same concepts are utilized to create modern age jewelry in South Africa. The broad collar jewelry design for a necklace is very popular and is crafted out of precious metals and gemstones or traditional animal items like those mentioned above. Another important element used in traditional indigenous jewelry is the use of multicolored beads and silver.
Broad Collar Chokers
Gold was used in neck jewelry from 2500 B.C. and there are many broad collar chokers and different jewelry pieces found from that point onwards. Jewelry in present-day Iraq evolved from the use of plain gold into beaded and designed necklaces. The Egyptians used stringed beads, which later on evolved into a complex pattern for necklaces. The designs were both broad collar and pectoral and unisex in their construction. Most of the Egyptian jewelry was buried with the dead who owned them. When it comes to the classical Greek timeline 480-300 B.C., the majority of the pieces found were three dimensional pendant styles. Gold was abundantly found in this area and jewelry was more important as affluence increased. Basically the necklaces showed what level of wealth and what status the person had in that society. As is the case with all trends, the importance of necklaces diminished over a few centuries and then saw a revival again.
When the fashion supported the décolletage, necklaces were revived and especially the broad collar type intended to draw more attention to the neck.
South African broad collar necklaces generally have been constructed out of flattened gold or silver. South Africa, in fact, is home to the world’s richest reserve of platinum Connoisseurs of the metal prefer a highly expensive and well designed necklace made out of precious metals like platinum. It is prized for its long-lasting nature even though it is pricey.
Today the necklaces are worn for personal adornment, religious significance and group identification among other reasons.
Collar Necklaces Available in South Africa
The broad collar necklaces available in South Africa can be crafted out of shells, beads and metals of different value. Normally very rigid they are intended to be slipped onto the neck and rest on the collar bone. There are some that have a chain and a clasp at the back and are quite flexible. Others simply resemble a shirt collar and sit on the collarbone after being put on. These do not have clasps at the end and, in fact, may have a 3-inch gap to assist the wearer. If gemstones are used they are focused on the central part of the necklace, which sits right in the center of the collarbone. The broad collar is not worked upon and is left barren to show off the metal or material used.
