Arabic Yemeni Jewelry is the Most overwhelming Rich, and Diverse Style of All the Middle East

The silver jewelry in Yemen is linked to the old Jewish communities, established in this land since the old times of King Salomon and responsible for the most exceptional craftsmanship, creating the most beautiful jewels. It was almost exclusively done by this community, and there were some reasons for that.

-the jewels made by foreigners were supposed to have Barakah, (blessing).
-manual professions were not valued in the Yemeni community and were left to other communities.

Magnetic Jewelry

The Jewish silversmiths did silver ornaments for their own people and for the Muslim people also. Their work was based on symbolic shapes and the wearer commonly gave magical power to the jewels. They made distinctive pieces, the silversmiths of the early 20 th century favored the process of granulation where tiny beads raise in relief from the covering of basic shapes, giving life to grape clusters and flower designs.

They used a mixture of globes, cylinders and all that linked by the other supreme Jewish technique, the filigree. Filigree uses very thin silver wires to create separate designs, mostly natural shapes as leaves, flowers and intricate designs.

Some of the pieces have signatures of Hebrew names written in Arabic script showing at once the ethnicity (Jewish) and the language of the country (Yemeni Arabic). The material of this pieces is silver, commonly reshaped as it's tradition in Muslim families. The daughter doesn't inherit the jewels from her mother, they bring them to the silversmith, who melts them and makes new designs.

In 1940 to 50, nearly the whole Jewish community immigrated and with them, most of the jewelers, leaving their stamp in some silver ornaments. Their style is very mighty and families like Bawsani, Badihi are in effect well known nowadays by connoisseurs and also by Yemeni jewelers.

The Jewish jewels now in Yemen are very respected old work, known as "Aamal al Yahud", jewish work.

Arabic Yemeni Jewelry is the Most overwhelming Rich, and Diverse Style of All the Middle East