„Minden Cross“ in Niello technique, appr. AD 1070 or 1120

Niello is a black metallic alloy of sulphur, copper, silver, and usually lead, used as an inlay on engraved metal. It can be used for filling in designs cut from metal. The Egyptians are credited with originating niello decoration, which, subsequently, spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1200, 605 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Niello ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1200, 605 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Niello ... Minden is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Alloy is a combination, either in solution or compound, of two or more elements, which has a combination of at least one metal, and where the resultant material has metallic properties. ... For the chemical element see: sulfur. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one. ... Middle age is a non-specific age when a person is not old, not young, but somewhere in the middle. ...

Siamese Jewelry

Nielloware jewelry from Siam was a popular gift from American soldiers stationed there to their girlfriends/wives back home from the 1920's to the 1970's. The pieces were mostly all handmade. For the country formerly called Siam see Thailand SIAM is an acronym for Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. ...

The technique is as follows: The artisan would carve a particular character or pattern into the silver, leaving the figure raised by carving out the "background". He would then use the Niello inlay to fill in the "background". After being baked in an open fire, the alloy would harden. It would then be sanded smooth and buffed. Finally, a silver artisan would add minute details by hand. Filigree was often used for additional ornamentation. Nielloware is classified as only being black and silver colored. Other colored jewelry originating during this time uses a different technique and is not considered Niello. Filigree (formerly written filigrann or filigrane) is a jewel work of a delicate kind made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver. ...

Many of the characters shown in Nielloware are characters in the Hindu legend Ramayama. Also, important cultural symbols of Siam were frequently used.

Although there is not much tangible value to Nielloware jewelry, they are wonderful keepsakes and often hold sentimental value. They are easy to match and provide interesting conversation pieces.

Common Nielloware pieces include: Necklaces, bracelets, brooches, tie bands, rings, earrings, pendants, buttons, and snuffboxes.

External links

• Nielloware in Thailand Very informative Niello site.