Traditional Ukrainian jewelry: the interweaving of time, fashion, and history
Let’s be honest: the full-scale war unleashed by Russia has forced Ukrainians to take a closer look at our history and pushed us to rethink “everything Ukrainian.” We began to wear embroidered shirts more often for no reason, learned how to stylize them in a modern wardrobe, thus demonstrating our national identity, and began to look more closely at national-style jewelry. Contemporary jewelers with pleasure incorporate ethnic motifs from different parts of Ukraine into their works in many, varied ways. In this article I want to talk about traditional Ukrainian jewelry, its types, symbolism, and role in the modern fashion world.
Authentic Ukrainian necklace jewelry
It is impossible to imagine a Ukrainian woman without a piece of jewelry around her neck. Necklaces have always been an indispensable attribute for little girls, girls in search of husbands, and married women. Neck jewelry was produced in a wide variety of forms, from beads made of wood or beads to metal coins.
The choice of what to wear depended on the occasion: on holidays, women chose more sophisticated accessories, in everyday life they dressed more modestly, but going out without a necklace was considered a sign of bad habit.
Various neck jewelry also served as amulets that protected against evil people and spirits. In addition, the necklace also demonstrated a social status. The brighter, richer, and more complex the necklace was, the higher the social status the woman had.
Peasant women usually had about three cords around their necks, while noble ladies could have up to fifteen. Each girl tried to accumulate as much jewelry as possible, striving to have more beautiful jewelry than her neighbor. Necklaces were necessarily renewed for major holidays such as Easter and Christmas.
Sometimes the contents of women’s jewelry boxes had a value comparable to the price of a couple of oxen or an entire house. Interestingly, even poor girls had a lot of jewelry: in poor families, they were passed down from generation to generation and were considered as family heirlooms. Men returning from the fair tried to bring at least a small string of beads to their wives and daughters.
Ukrainian traditional jewelry made of metal
It is known that metal accessories are among the oldest types of jewelry. They made it easy to determine a woman’s social status by simply looking at the material from which they were made. Knowing the metal used for jewelry could tell you how rich a family was.
For example:
- noble ladies preferred gold jewelry;
- merchants’ daughters wore silver ones;
- bourgeois women adorned themselves with pewter accessories;
- peasant women were content with jewelry made of copper and iron.
What could be found in the jewelry boxes of those times?
Zgardas, traditional Hutsul jewelry, were considered powerful amulets. Our ancestors believed that zgarda could protect against the evil eye, negative influences, and even accidents. These accessories combined elements of Christian and pagan symbols. The main components of the jewelry were crosses made of copper. Their number symbolized the wealth of the owner: the more crosses, the richer she was considered.
The crosses were strung on a wire, strap, or lace, depending on preference. Wealthy women often wore not one thread but three, and copper spirals, brass tubes, and beads were inserted between the crosses. The clasp for zgarda was special: disks with the image of a wheel, and the wheel had to have an even number of spokes.
Shelest was a metal necklace worn mostly by Hutsul women. It consisted of small round bells that jingled when they moved. When the wearer walked down the street, this bell accompanied her. Ethnographers consider shelest to be one of the oldest national jewels.
The hryvnia, or short necklace with a crescent-shaped element, was also a popular accessory. Craftsmen left intricate patterns on this element, and it was attached to a thin metal circle. The hryvnia was quite heavy and was considered a sign of high social status. The first jewelry of this type appeared in the 10th century.
Ukrainian national jewelry: necklaces for any taste
In ancient times, the most popular jewelry among Ukrainian women were necklaces made of various beads, often complemented by metal pendants and beads.
The most common ones were:
Painted patsyorky. This is the jewelry that every girl dreamed of. Patsyorky was a multicolored necklace made of glass beads. Wealthy ladies preferred patsyorky made of Murano glass brought from Venice. Craftsmen hand-painted large elements and decorated them with gold. Peasant women could afford cheaper options by stringing “rounds” made of primitive glass. The economical version of the necklace looked bright and rich, but cost a mere penny.
Coral beads or corals. The most recognizable jewelry in Ukraine was coral, made from the skeletons of coral polyps. Poor women could only afford “spiky” necklaces made of unprocessed coral. Aristocrats wore red necklaces decorated with elements in the shape of lambs or ovals.
Beads set in silver were especially respected, often placed in the middle of the necklace. Coral necklaces were sold in whole strings, and the bigger there were, the more expensive they costed. Some strands could contain up to 25 elements, but peasant women often limited themselves to a few.
Amber necklaces. Favorite jewelry of women from Kyiv, Prykarpattia, and Volyn regions, where amber was mined. It was believed that this transparent stone brought health and helped preserve women’s beauty for many years.
Balamuty is the folk name for mother-of-pearl, which was used to make balamut beads. They contained mother-of-pearl beads with amulets such as crosses and icons. This necklace symbolized virginity and youth, and was believed to protect girls from excessive male attention and preserve their virginity.
In ancient times, fashionistas often combined different types of necklaces, and the choice depended on the region. For example, in Polissya, corals were typically worn with amber necklaces. Large beads on a long thread were harmoniously complemented by small corals, which gave them an exquisite look. In Podillia, on the other hand, corals were mixed with pearl shells, creating a contrasting and surprising look.
Traditional Ukrainian coin jewelry
Ukrainian women often preferred jewelry with coins. Firstly, their jingle attracted the attention. Secondly, such jewelry could convey the social status of the wearer. Thirdly, it was believed that “coin” accessories could attract wealth.
Dukach. One of these decorations was the dukach, also known as a lychman. It is a large medal-like coin with a metal bow. Dukach was worn over a necklace, and it was the centerpiece of the total look. The girls who had dukach were proud of this jewelry, which was first given to Cossacks for excellent service and then passed on to their wives or daughters as a family heirloom.
Ducats are jewelry made of real gold coins. The simplest version is to string them, although there were more complex designs that included beads. Dukats adorned the chests of wealthy ladies, as it was an expensive piece of jewelry. A girl who had dukats in her dowry chest was considered a particularly favorable bride.
Salba, a national jewelry that resembles Tatar or Turkish accessories, was popular in Bukovyna. This massive decoration consists of coins attached to a canvas base. The coins are arranged in several rows, and foreign coins often coexisted with local ones, which added status to this accessory.
Traditional Ukrainian beaded jewelry
Beaded jewelry became very popular in Ukraine in the early nineteenth century, although the art of beading was known as far back as the times of Kyivan Rus’. The fashion for these braided accessories first broke out in the western regions of the country: the influence of the Czech Republic and materials from there played an important role. Later, craftsmen in the central regions also began to create products from multicolored beads.
Beaded jewelry was especially popular among peasant and bourgeois women. Initially, beads were strung on a thread without using a needle. For convenience, the tip of the thread was lubricated with a piece of wax, making it hard and sharp so that the bead could easily penetrate.
Ukrainian women wore these types of beaded jewelry:
The kryza was a large beaded collar that covered the shoulders. The width of the kryza could reach 20 cm, and this decoration was used mostly in festive dress. The richness of colors and exquisite ornaments made it incredibly expressive. Sometimes women would wear several beaded collars of different colors, widths, and lengths to create a memorable look.
Gerdan is an oblong jewelry piece consisting of two strips of beads connected by a medallion. Each strip was decorated with an ornament, which made it possible to give the jewelry an individuality. The gerdan was long and reached the chest. It was part of the national costume of Galicians, but it was rarely worn in other regions. It was believed that the gerdan protected a person from evil, and it could neither be passed on to another nor lent.
Beaded silyanka. This jewelry got its name from the manufacturing process, where “silyan” means stringing beads on a thread. Several strands of beads were strung around the neck and then intertwined to create a three-dimensional necklace. Pleated necklaces were an everyday decoration, but they were worn not only for beauty: Ukrainian women believed that silyanka protected them from the evil eye and attracted good luck.
Traditional Ukrainian authentic earrings
Ukrainian women loved to wear earrings, believing that their ringing could ward off evil spirits and even help with headaches. The jewelry came in a variety of shapes: “crescents”, “bagels”, “moons”, as well as models decorated with floral and animalistic patterns, such as “forget-me-nots” and “snakes”.
Older women and married ladies favored flatter models, while young girls preferred voluminous. Some earrings were complemented by pendants known as “telipons”. Hutsuls living in the Carpathians especially appreciated pear-shaped earrings.
The choice of material for earrings depended on the family budget. Copper earrings were common among little girls, while gold or silver earrings were considered noble and worn by women and girls. However, copper was sometimes used even in adulthood, especially in rural areas.
Earrings worn by Cossacks and their symbolism
Interestingly, earrings have not always been a female accessory. Ukrainian Cossacks wore crescent-shaped earrings in their right ear, which was a traditional symbol of freedom and courage. Wearing earrings was not only a matter of style, but also a military custom. Special rules established who could wear earrings, and this gave privileges to warriors.
According to tradition:
- the jewelry in the left ear indicated that the Cossack was the only son of his mother,
- in the right ear, that he was the last representative of his line,
- in both ears, that he was the only child of his parents.
The silver earring was also used in campaigns to disinfect water, which was considered one of its many useful functions.
Rings with a symbolic meaning
In ancient times, massive rings in Kyivan Rus’ were symbols of power and status. Such jewelry was worn by princes and nobles. Heraldic signs were carved on the rings to mark important events in political and cultural life.
Rich women, on the other hand, preferred massive rings with precious stones. At that time, peasant women did not consider it necessary to adorn their fingers with rings, choosing instead earrings and necklaces. In the 19th century, however, ordinary Ukrainian women began to pay attention to rings, and their choice was guided not only by personal preferences but also by folk symbolism.
- A silver ring. If a girl wore it on her left hand, it meant that she was ready to get married. Wearing it on the right hand was a sign that she was being wooed.
- Golden ring. Married women wore this ring on their right hand, and divorced women on their left. The presence of two gold rings on the left hand indicated widowhood.
- A ring with turquoise. Turquoise was considered a stone of longing, and girls whose loved ones were on long journeys chose such rings to show their state of waiting and longing.
Modern traditional Ukrainian jewelry and where to buy it
Contemporary traditional Ukrainian jewelry combines centuries-old history with modern design, making it particularly popular with both Ukrainian women and men and foreign tourists. These jewelry items include embroidered hoops, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other items made from natural materials such as linen cloth, wood, ceramics, and jewelry using patterns that reflect Ukrainian symbolism.
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To buy contemporary Ukrainian jewelry, you can contact local artisans, visit handmade workshops, or find it in online stores that specialize in Ukrainian folk art and handmade goods.
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Some famous places to buy Ukrainian jewelry include the Kyiv Fair on Andriyivskyy Descent in Kyiv, national art shops in Lviv. As well as online stores where you can find a wide variety of handmade items from talented craftsmen from all over Ukraine.
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Purchasing Ukrainian jewelry is not only a great way to decorate your wardrobe, but also to support and express gratitude to the artists who help preserve and develop the national cultural heritage.
*Main photo https://www.instagram.com/oksana.boriychuk/
