The Differences Between Silver and Gold Wearers

Why do some of us feel naked without our jewellery? Is it that the part it has played in our mating rituals and religious lives is so deeply embedded in the mass consciousness? Yet there are some people who wear no jewellery, so this hardly explains it for everyone. Jewellery communicates about prestige, wealth, elegance, sexiness, individuality, morality, superstition and much more. Clothes communicate about us also but not in this way. These days both men and women wear silver bracelets, although still more women than men. So how can we read people by their silver bracelets and silver jewellery?

The first step is acknowledging that we have a jewellery split in society, those whose metal of choice is silver and those who prefer gold. Of course there are the platinum wearers, this is another issue for another time! Gold symbolises power, strength, justice and perfection. Silver is a symbol of focus, awareness, vision, persistence, subtle strength, clarity, femininity and a sense of purpose. In modern society we see gold worn sometimes to achieve striking glamour. Even when you see people wearing gold bracelets they kind of jump out and say look at me, whereas a silver bracelet says investigate me, appreciate me subtly.

So if you were for example interviewing people for a job, and there were two candidates that were joint favourites and it was a difficult decision. Candidate A was wearing a gold bracelet but candidate B was wearing a silver bracelet. Which one would you choose? More than likely you would subconciously go for the one who was wearing your metal of choice. Or if the job was for a leadership role you may be likely to choose the person wearing the gold bracelet. However if the job was for a role that included ongoing analysis and development, which required clarity you may choose the silver bracelet wearer. Check your reactions in social situations and see. It is best to do this with people you know little or nothing about, it can be a fun exercise.

Look across a room and see a woman who is wearing a silver bracelet. More often than not this will signify someone who is quite independent. Why is this so? Culturally gold is considered the more important metal, and even in areas where there is little money in Britain quite a lot of people buy gold so they feel and look more wealthy. For them it seems like a status symbol. Even the media chooses gold more often than not to be included in advertisements. Therefore the lady wearing silver jewellery does not need to be part of the crowd. She is a person who is more inclined to follow her own passions and not the crowd. She is quietly confident. She does not feel the need to dazzle you with gold bling but loves to adorn herself in subtle, classy silver. She may be more mysterious and feminine.

Across lots of cultures strong, beautiful women have dressed themselves in silver jewellery, from well-known celebrities to tribal Native American women. Today you could take the analysis even further by examining the type of design of the silver jewellery, is it simple or intricate? Does it include crystals if so these have qualities depending on which stone it is. You could make quite a science out of it. By the way, if it is a man wearing a silver bracelet, you women out there should consider talking to him. This could be a sign that he has an openess to his feminine qualities.

Greek Symbols In Silver Jewellery

Ancient civilisations hold fascination for many people today. There were aspects of these societies that were extremely advanced and our forefathers lives were of course the roots of many of our lifestyle habits today. When it comes to jewellery, whether this is silver jewellery or gold jewellery, there is so much amazing evidence and history of it across these great ancient civilisations. Today we still enjoy wearing, sometimes without even thinking much about it, symbolic silver jewellery. The example above being a two hearts silver bracelet, with hearts being a really popular symbol.

The Greeks for example had started using gold and gems around 1400 B.C. But before this they had been skilled at making jewellery from animals and shells. Today if you travel to Greece you will see a multitude of jewellery shops with ranges of silver bracelets, rings, necklaces and gold jewellery that has a special quality about it. What is also apparent is that the ancient superstitions can still be seen today in some jewellery designs.

In ancient times the Greeks wore jewellery on special occasions and it was worn predominantly by women. By around 300 B.C. They had become masters in simple but colourful jewellery using pearls, amethysts and emeralds especially. Their jewellery at this stage was more straightforward than other cultures and there were also signs of cameos around this time which were created from Indian Sardonyx, which is a striped pink, cream and brown agate stone. As their workmanship progressed designs became more elaborate.

Jewellery was often expected to protect the wearers from the Evil Eye or even give the wearer supernatural powers. Of course apart from this like other societies it was worn as a sign of wealth, beauty and status. The Evil Eye however was a belief that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate people could results in their misfortune.

Apart from wearing jewellery to protect themselves the Greeks had other rituals to ward off the Evil Eye. A healer would cast it away by silently reciting a prayer which would have been passed over from normally a grandparent of the opposite sex! The tradition says that if the person is afflicted with the Evil Eye both themselves and the healer will start yawning profusely. If this is the case the healer will then do the sign of the cross three times and also spits in the air three times. The Greeks had another test to check the Evil Eye which was by using olive oil. Normally olive oil will float in water, and in this test one drop of oil is placed in a glass of holy water and if the drop floats there is no Evil Eye. However if it sinks that there is and the ritual must be performed.

Apart from this belief there were older pieces of jewellery that have been found were dedicated to the Gods. The largest production of jewellery in these times came from Northern Greece and Macedonia. Another aspect of Greek belief that has been integrated into their jewellery right up until the present day is the Owl. The Owl is considered very important as The Owl of Wisdom. There are museum reproductions which show us the combination of the owl and also the olive branch in Greek Jewellery two of their most important symbols side by side - wisdom and peace.

In Greece today another symbol carried through on their silver bracelets, rings and necklaces is the meander, which is the greek key and this symbolises the eternal flow of things. They certainly do not lack in symbolism!

Different Meanings For The Ring Fingers According to The Greeks & Palmistry

A study at the University of Liverpool showed that there may be a link between finger length and depression in men. This study found that the longer a man's fingers are in relation to his height, the more likely he is to suffer from depression. Although this study included women as well as men, the same could not be concluded for the women which led the group of researchers to discover that as testosterone levels dimish during depression, that the culprit could be lower levels of pre-natal testosterone! And all this because of his fingers...but fingers are fascinating and the vast majority of society wear rings on their fingers (no bells on their toes, at least normally) without many appreciating some of the information about fingers. So think again before you buy stylish silver rings because you may just want to buy the next one for a different finger.

The Greeks assigned the ring finger meanings in line with their Gods. So wearing a ring on the thumb finger whose God is Poseidon, represents individualism. If you wear one on the index finger, God Zeus, this meant dominance, energy and power. The Greek God for the middle finger is Dionysus so wearing a ring on that finger represents rebellion, decadence and irreverence. The finger known as the ring finger is Aphrodite, so this is for love, romance and good connections. The Greek God for our little pinky is Ares which symbolises assertiveness, competitiveness and conflict.

What about palmistry? In palmistry the thumbs are related to self control. There are references here to the active hand and the passive hand; this simply means that if you are right handed then this is your active hand making your left passive. So if you or someone you see has a thumb which goes inwards on the active hand this could mean that they are not currently fully applying themselves to their worldly ambitions. The same on the passive hand shows inner conflicts. Choosing rings for personal transformation in this instance you could wear a narrow, silver ring which can help with guidance and strength, which if possible has a milled surface (this is to be industrious), which should be worn on the passive hand. In traditional chinese medicine (TCM) the thumb relates to the lungs, which are for inspiration.

The index finger is called the mirror finger by palmists. It is ruled by Jupiter and is about self-reflection. If you or someone you know wears a big ring on the active index finger this could mean that there are self-esteem issues. The person could feel in need of recognition and power, especially if this ring contains a large gemstone. For these situations a tin based ring which is very simple should be worn on the active hand, with no gem, and with flat sides for humility and modesty. In TCM the index finger relates to digestion, therefore it can be digestion of life and ideas.

The middle finger which is known as the wall finger is ruled by Saturn which represents the psychological boundaries, values and lifestyle. The larger the ring and gemstone on this finger , the more seriously the person takes life and wants to feel secure. However multiple rings on the middle finger of the passive hand can be associated with stability in the family and obsession over material things. For those who have concerns like this it is good to wear a ring on the passive hand with a clear, square crystal to bring stability and clarity. In TCM the middle finger relates to the heart, so self-love and love of others.

The third finger, also called the ring finger, is the focus of the love binding ceremonies which can be traced back to pagan times. Wearing a ring here is a self-imposed idea to help the subconscious to restrict itself in pursuing the other sex. In TCM this is the liver which in Chinese medicine is the seat of anger.

The fourth finger, our pinky, is ruled by Mercury, God of Communication, and in palmistry this is called the antenna. It communicates with all levels, and people who wear more than one ring here may have a tendency to embellish the truth a little. A small fine ring on the passive hand will enhance communication in the right way, you will notice an immediate difference. In TCM this is the kidney which is about fear.

Brief History and Which Finger To Wear Rings Introduction

This month we have a couple of articles about wearing rings.

Are you one of those people who feels naked without their jewellery? Rushed out to work this morning without your collection of silver rings? Feel you can't function without them? You're certainly not alone, there are many people who feel the same way and when you think about the roots of jewellery it is not surprising that we feel the need to wear it.

Jewellery itself can be traced back to Africa where there were beads made out of snail shells which date back over 75,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons who were anatomically advanced humans in Europe were wearing bracelets and necklaces made out of bones, teeth, stones which were then strung upon an animal sinew of a piece of string. Some of these even had mother-of-pearl pieces. The Southern Russians however liked carved bracelets made out of mammoth tusks. It was not until about 7,000 years ago that copper jewellery was around.

In Asia the earliest culture to start making jewellery was the Chinese about 5,000 years ago. This jewellery was motivated by religion and had many Buddhist symbols contained within the designs. They used mainly silver for their jewellery craft which was often matched with blue their favourite colour. But historically the Chinese prefer jade over the other stones as they feel it has human qualities such as beauty, durability and hardness. Initially these jade silver jewellery designs were quite simplistic but as they evolved the rings between the 4th and 7th centures BCE shows signs of having been worked on with compound milling machine. This was hundreds of years before there was any sign of this type of machinery in the western world.

The Chinese also placed silver jewellery on their graves which is supported by the finds of aarchaeologists; most Chinese graves contain decorative jewellery. When still alive both sexes in China wore jewellery which was to show their wealth and nobility, this later developed into a way to accentuate beauty also. Men would wear decorative hat buttons which howed rank and they also wore gold or silver rings. Amulets were also commonplace quite often with a Chinese symbol such as the dragon or the phoenix. The women also wore strips of gold on their foreheads, like a headband or predecessor of the tiara, which was decorated with gemtones.

Across the world there are many stories of the history of jewellery, the significance in various ways and how it was worn and why. Rings are a sign of eternity because of the shape, and silver rings are stylish and throughout the ages and cultures have been enhanced with carvings, stones, cameos, intaglios and more. On top of that each finger that we place the ring on has a different meaning. The thumb is controlled by the planet Mars and therefore is related to marriage, imprisonment, war and enmity. The index finger is under Jupiter which is related to riches, medicines, longevity, treasures and honours. The middle finger is ruled by Saturn which is governed by buildings, life, meditations and doctrines. The ring finger is under the sun and signifies a long life, great honours and wisdom. The last but not least, little finger is under Mercurywhich is about making gold and all knowledge. So this may explain to you why you will want to wear rings on certain fingers. It can be a good idea to change this around for balance now that you understand the significance of each finger.