HOT !S195 ~ Orecchini a goccia medievali in argento sterling e Swarovski

  Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystals  Medieval Byzantine Drop Earrings   CultureTaste 2014     Description & Features Dimensions Width: about 1.3 cm ~ 0.51" Lenght: about 3 cm ~ 1.18" Material Sterling Silver 925 22K Double Gold plated Silver with enamel protection Original Swarovski crystals Reference 04.00.S195   Free Gift Box for this item Gift Box may not be identical to the photo   These handmade sterling silver drop earrings are inspired by a Byzantine-Medieval design.  Coordinate this classy pair of earrings with any ensemble from business casual to everyday wear or for a night out. Made in oxidized sterling silver with gold plated silver accents and decorated with a faceted original Swarovski crystal.                           Notice:  This is an authentic handmade piece, unique and provided directly by the designer. As in all handmade products, there may be a slight variation in sizes and colors and this is what makes them unique and valuable.   Byzantine & Post-Byzantine jewelry – A brief history   The Byzantine Era  The byzantine era begins in 334 AD, when the Roman emperor Constantine I, declares  the ancient city of Byzantium  as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.  Byzantium is named Constantinople (city of Constantine) after his name. Byzantine era comes to its end in 1453, with the Ottoman capture of Constantinople, which is renamed as Istanbul after its fall. The byzantine era  is characterized by the recognition of Christianity as the official state religion, the preservation of the Roman-Hellenistic traditions  and the increasing predominance of the Greek language. The term Byzantine art encompass the art of the Byzantine Empire  during this period. Jewelry, as other art forms during this era,  is characterized by a completely new way of expression, a fruitful synthesis of the previous Hellenic heritage and the spirituality of the Christian religion mixed with elements of the oriental artistic tradition, while the man, according to the Ancient Greek ideals, remains the center of this artistic phase. During the 3rd and 4th century, jewelry becomes more abstract  and symbolic. At the end of the 4th century, Christian symbols , as crosses, representations of Christ, the virgin Mary and saints begin to appear.  Combining different techniques, new and older ones that revive during that period, artisans try to satisfy a desire for luxury and divine splendor, using a wide range of materials – precious metals and stones when available, semi-precious stones, pearls and glass. The late 4th to 7th century mark the period of Byzantine worldwide domination. Arts and letters flourish.  Anthropocentrism still characterizes arts, as in painting, where the desire to find ways to express and transmit the divine spirituality through the human form is evident. Jewelry is another art form that reflects the features of this period. Jewelry pieces that have survived  and representations in paintings give us an idea of the luxury and high quality of ornaments.  The use of precious and semi-precious stones becomes very popular and goldsmiths mainly focus on them rather than elaborating techniques for working the gold. From the 9th century on, art and consequently jewelry is characterized by a “Macedonian renaissance” – a return to the ancient Greek patterns. A particular aspect of this period is the use of enamel as an alternative to stones, while the wealth and  luxury are still expressed by the use of precious stones. Filigree technique and cameos , Christian symbols for  amulets are also widely used. The 14th century brings a scarcity in the precious materials. During this period, filigree technique reaches perfection level, while silver is used instead of gold. The amount of the surviving pieces of this whole period is extremely small in relation to the range and duration of the Byzantine Empire - only some “thysavroi” (treasures) had been buried in the earth during times of invasions to be protected.  These pieces manifest the artistic influence and radiance of Byzantium in the Medieval world - influence that went on, even after the dissolution of the Empire.  As a matter of fact, after Constantinople’s fall, many goldsmiths (alongside other artisans and scholars) that fled to West contributed to the Renaissance movement. Post-Byzantine & Neo-Hellenic Era After Constantinople’s fall, Hellenism for many centuries lived under Frankish and Ottoman occupations. However, it managed to maintain its cultural and national features by preserving its language and the orthodox Christian religion. The uninterrupted continuousness of  the Byzantine culture was of primordial importance. It’s this continuousness that offered the fertile soil for the development of new pursuits under the new circumstances, triggered by the beneficial  breeze  of the Renaissance movement that reaches the whole area through Italy and the Frankish occupied Ionian islands. Post-Byzantine art includes the art produced by Orthodox Christians from the 15th to the 19th century , in Greece, the Balkans and Russian regions mainly. Jewelry is characterized by a very detailed and elaborated treatment of gold (when it was available), so that a small quantity of it could be transformed into extremely impressive ornaments , using  mainly filigree technique. Silver, pearls and enamel were widely used. Common patterns during this period are among others : sailing ships, peacocks, swans, birds, the double-headed eagle, crosses, bells, drops. From the second half of the 18th century art flourishes due to the creative fusion of all parameters that compose its historical perspective : the long Byzantine tradition, inherited into all generations’ consciousness, full of shapes, colours, materials and a preference for the austere splendor, the fertile influence of the Islamic art and its devotion to the natural elements and patterns and the artistic messages coming from the West  influenced by the post-Baroque and Rococo styles. During this period, known as Neo-Hellenic, there is an abundance of articulated, leaf-shaped accessories in jewelry, that create a pleasant sound and feel with their motion. Single coins or strands of them, connected to metal woven chains become very popular – not only for the ornamental purpose of jewelry, but as an alternative, relatively safe way to transport savings. From the aesthetic  point of view, the variety of  themes inspired by the natural  and mainly botanical world,  and the high technical skills developed during this era especially in filigree and cast techniques on one hand and the optimism of the colourful glass stones and enamel, on the other hand, give to the materialistic scarcity a true majestic dimension.     Shipping Information We ship worldwide via Hellenic Post. Our default shipping method is REGISTERED POST, which provides a tracking number. In case you require another shipping method, please Contact Us before you send your payment.   COMBINED SHIPMENTS If you want to purchase more than 1 item, please Contact Us before you send your payment, so that we can advise the accurate shipping cost for a combined shipment.     Dispatch & Transit Time Your order is dispatched 15 working days after your payment has been cleared. Our items are packed with extra care and delivered with the safest packing, so that they arrive to you in perfect condition. After your order has been shipped, you get a shipping notification message mentioning  the tracking order of the shipment. As with all Registered parcels, as soon as your parcel arrives at your local post office, you either get a notification message for the pick up of the parcel, or the parcel is delivered directly to your address. You can check the status of the shipment and the delivery procedure on your National Post office's web site or with your local post office using the tracking number provided.     DESTINATION TRANSIT TIME** by REGISTERED POST EUROPEAN UNION * about 5 working days ALL OTHER COUNTRIES  about 6-9 working days   *EUROPEAN UNION countries AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, FRANCE, GERMANY, DENMARK, SWITZERLAND, ESTONIA, UK, IRELAND, ICELAND, SPAIN, ITALY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA LUXEMBURG, MALTA, NORWAY, THE NETHERLANDS, HUNGARY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, SLOVAK REPUBL. SLOVENIA, SWEDEN, CZECH PERUBLIC , FINLAND, CYPRUS   ** Transit Time : We are not responsible for shipment transit times. Transit times are provided by the carrier and may vary according to destination, especially during peak periods. Days in transit time column refer to working days till the arrival to destination country. Customs clearance time is not included. Buyers of non-EU countries or buyers from countries that have recently joined the EU, might have to pay import duties. Please check with your Customs' Authorities before buying. We are not responsible for such duties.     Payment We accept payment through           which is quick and free for buyers. Before you decide to either Bid or Buy, make sure that you have got or opened a Paypal Account. Payment is accepted in British Pounds (GBP), USD and EUR using the Paypal "Pay Now" button. Credit cards accepted for payment via Paypal.     Selling Policies Fees We don't charge any fees for packing and handling.  Gift boxes, if not provided free of charge (please check the Features part of the listing), are charged $5.00 over the closed or buy it now price of the item. If you require to purchase a gift box , please let us know by e-mail, before you proceed to payment.   Refunds & Returns Refunds and Returns are accepted if the received items differ from the item's description. The condition of the returned item should be as received and can be returned within 7 working days. If however you are not happy with your purchase, please contact us so that we can arrange details.   Customized Orders If you don't find exactly what you want in our store, you are welcome to contact us with your request for a customized order, so that we can list on eBay the item you are looking for. Bulk Quantities If you are interested in buying bulk quantities, please contact us, so that we can send you an offer and list your desired quantity on eBay.     Our Philosophy Items of usage, items for display, created by earthy materials, elaborated with traditional or innovative techniques, in traditional or contemporary designs.  Items that bring a breath, a smell, a touch of our natural environment into our homes.  Items that we use everyday or items that surround us, that create a stronger bond with Mother Earth, with our roots, that open windows to memories, that give inspiration to our days, that contribute to our well-being.  That’s our philosophy in choosing these pieces for you and for your beloved ones... to bring this little bit of magic into our homes, into our lives, into our souls.  We really hope that you’ll enjoy them for many years and that you won’t consider them as just a purchase, but as pieces of worldwide culture’s heritage. The Culture Taste Team     Contact Us We are happy to receive your questions, your suggestions and any request for customized products.  We normally respond within 24 hours, taking into consideration the Time Zone. Greece is operating on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus 2 hours (GMT+2) and (GMT+3) during daylight saving time.            Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Due to the current situation and subsequent post mail services restrictions, we are unable to ship your orders by Registered Post. The orders can be shipped only by FedEx or TNT express. Please contact us for more details and shipping costs. We apologize for the inconvenience and we hope that everything will be back to normal soon. Stay safe, stay inside!