Antique jewelry glossary

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Hair ornament

Any of various types of ornaments worn in the hair by men and women of the Western and Eastern worlds. Such pieces are mainly the hair pin, comb, and slide, but also the hair net, hair ring, hair spiral, etc., all made in various styles and degrees of ornateness, and often of a preicous metal, coral, tortoise shell, jet, etc., with gemstones.

In the Orient the hair pins are of the 1-pin and 2-pin types, and the combs are elaborate. A hollow ornament, made of jade or gold, worn to fit over and hold in place a small bun of hair (Chinese). An ornament attached to a short single pin, often set with gemstones in a floral pattern (Hungarian).

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson