The symbols appeared almost from the beginning of the history of the human being on the face of the earth, arose even in prehistory when men made figures in caves, which today we know as hieroglyphs or petroglyphs, which represented a form of expression to express their beliefs or simply their daily life.
In this way, the symbols were acquiring greater presence in different areas of human life, and represented a type of language long before the written language appeared, through which it is externalized and represent thoughts, ideas or beliefs, with only the use of an image, such as a cross, a heart, a star, and an infinity of signs that are currently used to identify traffic signs, emblems of institutions, social causes, and so on.
In this sense, the symbolism uses a large number of signs for many purposes, purposes and / or activities, and its duration in time is relative, but there have been some symbols that represent ideals or philosophies of life that have been used by thousands of years, and that maintain the same meaning and value and even, could have it within thousands of years. This type of symbols is frequently used in the modern world, with different purposes, such as religious, whose images turn the world through works of art, paintings, sculptures, clothing, logos, and so on.
The power of symbols is incredible, especially when what they represent is so deeply rooted in people’s cultures, ways of thinking, lifestyles and ideals. It happens like this, with the religious symbols of Catholics, such as crosses, virgins, saints, Jesus Christ on the cross, the heart of Jesus, and other symbols such as the Star of David of Judaism, the Yin Yang, the Ohm, the Chi-Rho and crosses like the Celtic, the Greek, the Orthodox, the Caravaca, among many other symbols used in jewellery, which in the present article we will describe:
The Cross: this symbol is one of the most used by different religions and is a fundamental part of the history of humanity, generalizing its use to various fields such as religions, organizations, institutions, companies, governments, sects and of course by people around of the world with diverse lifestyles and beliefs. Next we will describe the most known crosses according to what they represent:
Latin Cross: This cross represents the Christian religion, symbolizing the suffering of Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. It is characterized by having a smaller segment that is three fourths smaller than the larger segment, which is the difference between the Greek cross whose segments are equal.
Greek Cross: This cross was used as a symbol of Christianity until the Renaissance period, when it was no longer formally used to make way for the Latin crosses, however, now part of the Orthodox Church and specifically in Eastern Europe is followed using the Greek cross, which is characterized because all segments are the same size.
Maltese Cross: This cross is known as the eight-pointed cross, or the Cross of Saint John, and represents the knights who served in the Jerusalem hospital, who were known as the Knights of Saint John and / or Knights of the Hospitaller Order. It is characterized because its arms have the form of four “V” capitals that are joined by their vertices.
Lorraine cross: This cross is widely used in necklaces or chains, and is mostly known as the “Cruz de Caravaca” or “Patriarchal Cross”. It is characterized by having a shorter double crossbar located on its major segment, and symbolizes the process of the Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ in that dramatic and sublime moment when he was crucified, it is even said to be a fragment of the true cross on which he was crucified.
Orthodox Cross: This cross is called “crucifix”, and is characterized by having eight arms, based on the orthodox tradition that holds that both the feet and hands of Jesus are not crossed by a single nail, as in the Catholic, but with two nails.
St. Andrew’s Cross: It is a cross, or Greek cross which is rotated in 45 degrees, and basically symbolizes Christianity in its first stage, like the Greek cross.
St. Peter Cross: It is an inverted Latin cross, based on the tradition of the martyrdom of the Apostle Saint Peter, and although it is currently associated with anti-Christian groups or practitioners of Satanism, it is originally a symbol of the divine essence and the love of God.
St. George’s Cross: It is a Greek cross of red colour on a white background, which was originally used in Genoa, and is currently part of several flags, such as, for example, that of England.
Papal Cross: This cross has an important meaning for Catholic believers, because it is associated with the authority of the patriarch of the West and successor of the apostle Saint Peter, who has been the Roman pontiff as bishop of Rome, or as we usually call him ” Pope”. It is characterized by having three crossbeams of different lengths and representing the Catholic Church throughout the world.
Jerusalem Cross: The cross of Jerusalem, also known as the Cross of the Crusaders, comes from the flag that Pope Urban II on the first crusade, handed over to religious soldiers and subsequently became the symbol of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, after the victory. The original consisted of a large Greek cross with four small crosses in each quadrant.
Celtic cross: this cross is a pagan symbol, which was created when the Celts were transformed to Christianity, and become part of this religion that opened the doors, however, the typical Latin cross that represents Christians, suffered a change by incorporating a circle in its back in the union of the Catholic cross.
Also, there are other symbols associated with other beliefs that are widely used by people in jewellery, especially in chains, necklaces, bracelets and brooches. Among the best known are the following:
Chi-Rho: This symbol that was widely used in the times of Emperor Constantine, is considered as one of the first cryptograms used by Christians in their ceremonies and as a personal symbolism in decorative objects such as jewellery, amulets and protective ornaments for their homes. It is composed of two letters, chi and rho (ΧΡ), belonging to the Greek word “ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ”, which means Christ, so the symbol Chi-Rho symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus.
The hands of God: This pre-Christian symbol of Slavic mythology, has been considered one of the most used to call good luck, so it is widely used in jewellery and decoration. Its meaning is usually associated with the sun and the balance of the universe, with fire and with the essence of life.
The Anj: It is an Egyptian hieroglyph that represents the key of life or the Egyptian cross that means life, it is also called an ansada cross, which is characterized by having an upper part in the form of an oval, a bow, a loop or ansa.
The Star of David: It is one of the main symbols of Judaism, which is the religion of the Jews who formerly inhabited the Promised Land of Israel, and from which Islam and Christianity were subsequently derived. Magical powers are attributed to this symbol, and it is often called “Shield of David” or “Seal of Solomon”.
There are countless stars of David made of gold, silver and other materials, which are usually used in chains and / or necklaces, being one of the most used religious symbols in the jewellery dedicated to these motifs, together with the crosses and figures of the Christianity.
Yin and Yang: who has not heard of this symbol that occupies multiple spaces in decoration, religious institutions of Eastern beliefs and the new era, and that is present in modern jewellery to symbolize the duality of everything that exists in the universe, which is the fundamental basis of the oriental philosophy of countries like Japan, Korea and China, Korea, and that spreads throughout the world.
This symbol, usually represented in black and white, symbolizes two apparently opposing and complementary forces that are around us, which are present in each of the aspects of our lives, and which are part of the personal and universal energy. In him the feminine and the masculine, the light and the darkness are present, reason why the yin represents the feminine, the earth, the darkness and the passivity, while the yang represents it masculine, the sky, the light and the activity; complementing one another through an exchange of energies.
Om or Pranava: At present this symbol is being widely used not only in the East but also in the Western world, where spiritual sessions are being practiced in which it appears as an image and as a basic sound in meditations, because it is one of the most sacred mantras of Hinduism and Buddhism, which represents Brahman and the entire universe.
In recent years the number of people who practice these beliefs has increased, and with this the jewellery with this type of symbols has been booming, becoming the “Om” in one of the most used in certain jewellery, and is even central reason of the tattoos of many young people around the world.
Fleur de lys: This lily flower symbol, very common since the Middle Ages throughout Western culture, is also frequently used by jewellers, especially hung in chains of different materials, as well as in bracelets and earrings.
Thus, religious symbolism is an important part of a sector of jewellery that uses it to satisfy the tastes and preferences of its customers around the world, who see their ideals and beliefs embodied in these symbols, as well as wanting to wear beautiful clothes with their favourite symbols.
ALFA