YIKES a snake!

Antique snake jewelry!  To me there is something so beautiful about organic shapes and symbols done in precious metals and stones.  To make the common into decadent art is so appealing.  Now I know my Mother-in-law (deathly afraid of snakes) will read this and think the last remaining small bit of my brain has finally drained from my head (hi Nanc), but these pictures are truly stunning.  I was recently in a jewelry store and the owner told me that people have been melting down antique jewelry and selling the gold in this bad economy.  The gold, he said, can be worth more than the antique piece (many of which are very heavy). 

Blasphemy!!! 

 

In the Victorian era, the snake symbolized eternity, vitality and life.

"In many cultures it is believed to protect one from evil spirits…It is the mystic representation of the snake that fascinates many people. Take the Egyptians. The snake was worshipped and feared. The native American’s saw the snake as a healer and so on.” Jane H. Clark

"The SNAKE or serpent was the symbol of royalty and deity in early Egyptian society. Victorian jewelry often used an entwined snake to symbolize infinity and eternal love. Over the years the snake has also come to symbolize sexuality, rebirth and wisdom.
While serpent motif jewelry goes far back in history, it's popularity really spread starting in the 1840s and peaked between then and the 1860s (Understanding Jewelry, Bennett, pages 88 & 104).

Whatever, i just love it.  Hey Kev, my birthday’s in a month.