Greek Silver Jewelry and Cultural Symbolism

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Athens Is An Ideal City for Jewelry Shopping

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As a lover of all kinds of jewelry, Athens is my own personal shopping paradise. During a recent trip to Athens, I visited dozens of jewelry shops and museums including the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, the Benaki Museum. It was fascinating to learn how Grecian history and culture are reflected in this beautiful jewelry. I learned that Greek jewelry was a symbol of status and wealth, and it often featured gods and goddesses in the design as a form of cultural symbolism. During the 6th and 7th century B.C., the concept of money and coinage was just beginning to replace the barter system, and the Greeks were one of the earliest civilizations who combined money and jewelry into one. The result was a timeless and iconic style.

Is That Athena?

I bought the piece pictured here while on my trip to Athens. This ring is a modern rendition of an old design that I fell in love with. I was looking for an "Athena" coin ring for my daughter, and ended up buying this ring for myself as well. When I bought it, I assumed it was Athena, but when I took a closer look, I realized it might be a Greek god instead. Whoever it is, I still love the piece. If you have any idea who this might be, please let me know in the comments; it's all Greek to me!

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Author: Astrid Clements

Astrid Solo Travel Advisor CEO and founder, Astrid, has spent over 40 years traveling around the world. She is passionate about embracing the world’s diverse cultures and sharing with others the global need and personal benefit of cultural literacy. Her focus is on affordable luxury travel that is both substantive and fun! To read more about her and each one of our Solo Travel Advisors, head over to the About page!