A Brief History of Snake Jewellery
The motif of the snake or serpent has been an important and meaningful symbol in the world of jewellery since ancient times. Depictions of snakes can be seen across artefacts from early civilisations including Greece, Rome and Egypt. In particular the image of the ouroboros, the symbol of a snake devouring its own tail, represented eternity and wisdom.
One of the earliest known ouroboros motifs is found in the Enigmatic Book of the Netherworld, an ancient Egyptian funerary text found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, in the 14th century BCE. Snakes were used in Egyptian jewellery and most commonly depicted is the Nile cobra, a large and highly venomous snake. In ancient Egypt the snake was a symbol of power and deity worn by royalty, most notably by Cleopatra who became famous for her serpent-themed jewellery.
The Greeks attributed the image of the snake to wisdom and healing, and depictions were typically of the non-venomous Asclepsian snake. This connotation is most commonly linked to Aesculapius, the god of medicine, who had a snake wrapped around his staff; a symbol still used to represent medical professions. Another mythological figure associated with snakes is the gorgon, Medusa, whose image was popular throughout classical revival jewellery.
The ouroboros remained a powerful symbol for eternity and was used across funerary art throughout the 16th century. By this time, the snake had gained biblical meaning through the story of Adam and Eve and remained a powerful allegory throughout art history. In the Georgian era the snake remained a popular motif, particularly across men’s jewellery, including rings, shoe and belt buckles.
During the Victorian era the motif of the snake became one of the most prevalent designs across jewellery. Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a ring in the shape of a serpent and set with an emerald, the Queen’s birthstone. This caused somewhat of a snake-mania and the motif could be seen across jewellery of all types. Collar necklaces in the design of a serpents became popular and could be seen set with stones of all kinds, including diamonds, garnets and turquoise. Coiled snakes were common across earrings, bracelets, rings and brooches. The historical ties to ancient funerary art and the sentiment of eternity, made the ouroboros a meaningful choice for mourning and memorial jewellery.
In contemporary jewellery the snake is still used as a popular motif. Bulgari adopted the snake as their signature motif and Cartier have made the symbol a feature of many of their collections. The ancient symbol of the snake has endured and remains an elegant symbol across jewellery design.