Symbolism.

According to den Besten (2011, p.12) “jewellery whether fine, costly, traditional or avant-garde, can be read as a symbol, precisely because it is brought into the public domain.”Symbolism is an indirect suggestion “to express ones ideas, social situation and identity.” (den Besten, 2011, p. 12) It is a fixed concept and a meaningful association with something else that generally refers to cultural or public interpretation of a sign. Gauding (2009, p. 8) also suggests a symbol not only represents something else but also “suggests a hiding or veiling of meaning.”

According to Mountz jewelers (2019), “Jewellery provides people with a physical symbol to represent meaning, ideas, values and rituals. Those symbols can change the way the owner feels while wearing the jewelry. A symbol of protection might make the wearer feel strong and safe, Jade, called the Stone of Heaven, play a significant role in the Chinese culture. Jade represents the balance of yin and yang”(see fig 1). (Mountz jewelers.2019)

Figure 1 – jade a symbol of balance.