What Souvenirs to Bring from Saudi Arabia – Part Thirteen of the Top 15 Ideas for Gift Shopping.
Saudi Arabian ethnic bedouin silver jewelry.
Most Arabian bedouin jewelry is fashioned from silver. Whereas standard silver has 925 parts of pure silver mixed with 75 parts of other metal alloy, this ratio greatly varies in the ornaments worn by bedouins, raising questions about whether the silver is “real”. Sterling silver is a soft metal, that’s why silversmiths were adding base metal to the alloy to make the piece durable.
Saudi silversmith at work at Janadriyah festival
Image source: Janadriyah book by Mohammed Babelli
The skilled hands of a craftsman produced ornaments using techniques that can only be found in handmade items: hammering, wrought metal, casting, fusing and soldering, decorative embossing, engraving, granulation and filigree (my favorite pieces are made using these two techniques). Most ornaments were made in the south of Saudi Arabia or in Yemen, the areas famous for the best silversmiths.
These are photos of a few Arabic silver bracelets that show various techniques used in ornament making.
Image source: listings in internet auction sites.
Bracelets were usually worn in pairs, so if you are thinking to purchase some, find two similar ones. They were made to fit along each arm, even above the elbow.
More silver bedouin bracelets to give you an idea of skillful work of Arabian craftsmen.
Image source: listings in internet auction sites.
The source of silver was mainly Maria Theresa or Levante thalers, and occasionally other silver trade coins. The Empress Maria Theresa ruled Austria, Hungary and Bohemia from 1740 to 1780. In 1753, the Empress and the Dutch of Bavaria signed a coinage convention, where the weight and the content of silver for all the Maria Theresa coins struck in Austria and Bavaria were defined. The weight described to be 28 grams, with a 85% of silver purity, of 42 mm in diameter. After the death of the Empress in 1780, her son Joseph II allowed the Austrian mint to continue striking the coins with the frozen date of 1780.
European traders paid for exotic products like coffee, spices, perfume oils with these thalers, and Arabia needed the silver for the commerce, the traditional jewelry and the dowries. This is how these coins were distributed in Arabia.
The thalers either were melted down (therefore the highest silver content in bedouin silver jewelry would be 85%) or used as an amulet, embossed with stones, and decorated with bells and chains.
Silver Arabian bedouin necklace with coins
Image source: listing in an internet auction site.
It’s hard to find an antique piece of Arabian silver ornaments. Bedouins were melting down jewelry on the death of its owner, and didn’t have the culture of passing pieces from generation to generation. Due to the nomadic nature of their society, the woman’s jewelry was part of the family’s wealth, and could be sold in the times of hardship. The new ornaments were created using the metal, and with each subsequent melting more base metal was added.
Silver bedouin necklace with low silver content.
Image source: listing in an internet auction site.
I believe that the more the piece looks worn, the higher is the silver content (as silver with little base metal added is soft, and the shape and ornamental elements get damaged easily). High-grade silver patina is also easy to recognize.
Elaborate silver Arabian bedouin necklace, possibly made of high-grade silver
Image source: listing in an internet auction site.
In the Saudi Arabian souks you will be able to find many different kinds of jewelry, but most of it was brought from outside the country (Kouchi, Afgani, Pakistani origin). The jewelry will still look ethnic and exotic, but will not be authentic Saudi Arabian pieces. The best bet will be to search for stores specialized in old jewelry.
You should be an experienced buyer and to have an ability to adequately estimate the price of the pieces offered. Do your homework and read several books on Arabian bedouin silver handicrafts. I will list a few in the Books about Saudi Arabia Customs and Crafts I Recommend post.
Read about Saudi Arabian traditional daggers and swords in the next part.
