Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z     all

Heracles knot

A decorative motif, in the form of a reef knot, introduced in Hellenistic jewelry. It is found, inlaid with garnets, as the central ornament on some gold diadems, flanked often with decoration in enamelling and filigree work. A similar reef knot is also found on some finger rings of Roman jewelry and of the 14th/15th centuries. The motif is said probably to have been imported from Egypt where it had for centuries been accorded amuletic significance.

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