Black Jewelry with Beth Miller Hall
Description
Feb 27, 2024 7pm EST
Black Jewelry as a mid- 19th century clothing accessory appears to be commonly accepted, but is that piece you are thinking about wearing part of an accurate portrayal? And what is it made from anyway?
This virtual class will be taking a closer look at all of the materials that fall into "used for black jewelry” category and what makes each material special or unique. We will break this broad topic into two sessions.
This session will cover shiny items: jet, glass, and Bois Durci. The second session (next quarter) will cover dull surface materials: vulcanite, hard rubber, gutta percha, bog oak and horn.
We will talk about how to discern what material an item you’re looking at is made. The virtual class will look at images of original items and point out the distinctive characteristics of each material. We will look at findings that are typical for that material and the common themes for each one. We will describe explore how to use all your senses: eyesight, feel touch, sound, and if you dare, taste.
Even if you are already familiar with these materials, we will be showing examples of unfamiliar original items that might surprise you.