HOW THIS JEWEL COLLECTION WAS BORN

The jewel collection Hungarian Wedding uses elements of the rich and diversified new-style Hungarian folk art created at the turn of the 18th and 19th century.
It was the time when the national consciousness flourished in the Hungarian society and was the strongest in our history. Sketching, design and ornament of the jewels originate from that age.

By comparing the source of our traditions with my professional experience gained through designing, preparing engagement jewels my aim was to create jewels that meet the actual needs and expectations and that adapt to the recent habit of giving engagement presents.
So do not try to search for these jewel types in the material culture of our past. At that time the habit was to give an ”engagement shawl” which was replaced by the engagement ring only at the beginning of the 20th century; since then the engagement ring has taken over to symbolize that two people belong together.

Because this profession was (and is) very expensive the goldsmiths at that time fulfilled only the needs of the nobles and the church. The folk art had very small chance to influence the design trends in our profession.
When designing and preparing this jewel collection I focused on applying
old and traditional craftsman techniques combined with modern solutions and possibilities. The feature of these jewels is that they are covered with Hungarian motifs carved manually in each beautiful piece in a free style. This added value is created by my colleague Gyula Körmendy graver master whose long-year practice and sure hands formed the small details on my jewels.

The collection is made of white and red gold alloy and of white (better said colourless) and – what I like the most – brown brilliants representing the symbolism of these jewels.
Due to their shades these material combinations together with the Hungarian silhouettes and the carved motifs give a special ancient atmosphere and characteristic appearance to the collection.
I took the designations of the jewels – in style – from the folk-poetry (from the world of folk songs and tales) bringing back nowadays rarely used and very nice Hungarian words.

I think the inherited forms and motifs are viable not only in their traditional material and their own environment but they can be part of our every day life when prepared of new materials and by modern technology. They are filled with new sense, come to life and develop.
I do trust that my experiment to bring these motifs up-to-date gives joy to a lot of people and enriches the range of related artistic attempts.

Gertrúd Nagy – goldsmith master

HISTORY OF THE ENGAGEMENT RING IN THE HUNGARIAN TRADITION

A jewel worn on a finger has for a long time been a traditional symbol of the alliance between men and women.
In Hungary the habit of giving engagement rings as a present and wearing
them originates from the beginning of the 19th century.
In the 18th century the former engagement presents were continuously replaced by the jewels.
In the 19th century men expressed their emotions by giving rings to the women. These rings were made of silver with heart form head or with three stones - the largest in the middle.
A girl could have and wear several gift rings at a time even from several admirers. Later these rings were replaced by the valuable golden ring of the most serious suitor. They were called ”engaged” girls.

The wedding ring was exclusively a prerequisite of the church marriage which expressly showed the marital status. Later on the wedding ring gained such an importance that it became part of the engagement.
Wearing an engagement ring before the wedding meant a promise to marriage.

At the turn of the 19th –20th century, it happened as the following: The groom was the first to give a ring to his bride, receiving a kerchief serving as a similar sign in return from her. And last but not least both of them bought one for each other, or it was the groom who bought both.
Another variant is also known, when the bride received two rings: a decorative ring – a so-called keeper ring – beside the engagement ring. The groom did not get any rings.

In the case of the final version, the man bought three rings, two of which the bride received, and the third remained his.
This tradition still is the most known above all, as the groom engages the bride with a lovely solitaire ring, often designed with a smaller diamond. This ring is the proposing ring. For the ceremony itself, both the man and the woman choose a pair of wedding rings, by common assent.

About the order in which rings are being worn: In the earlier centuries, each of the fingers had its own pragmatic and conceptional meaning. Every finger was used for different – dirtier or cleaner – tasks; obviously due the methods of hygiene which were completely different from what we know in the 21st century.
The fourth finger served as the ring-finger since it belongs to the circle of the Sun which holds a lot of happiness and positive allurement.

In these days the wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand when the couple is engaged and they appear on the fourth finger of the right hand when the wedding takes place, and from that moment on the wedding ring shows our feelings and our life long choice.

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Copyright © 2004–2010 Nagy Gertrúd – All rights reserved!

The Hungarian Wedding jewel collection represents a special direction and an individual design among the works of Affianced Jewellery. It is made up of wedding rings, brilliant engagement rings and other fine jewel works with typical Hungarian motifs and design prepared by rich craftsmen technique. The collection is under design protection.