Yemenite silver-work is noted for its intricate use of
filigree and fine
granulation. Jewellery containing a high silver content was called by local Jews, or in Arabic, and referred to jewellery whose silver content ranged from 85 to 92 percent, while the rest was
copper. In
Sana'a, Jewish silversmiths routinely made use of the Maria Theresa thaler by remelting it. The less wealthy inhabitants of the cities and the rural regions, as well as
Bedouins, would routinely order jewellery whose silver content was lower, up to 60 percent silver, the remainder being copper, and which was known by the name ('silver' in Arabic). Even lower quality silver was called , a word having the connotation of "half," implying that it was made half of silver and half of copper.
necklaces Among the variety of jewellery known in Yemen, the (ornate bib-necklace) is the most impressive in its complexity. A highly skilled work of Jewish silversmiths, it is a testimony of exquisite craftsmanship, requiring painstaking work and a developed artistic sense, expressed by the harmonious and aesthetic blend of its many parts. The is a popular piece of jewellery among Jewish and Muslim women alike. In Arabic, the name indicates the sunken place beneath the
Adam's apple on the neck, where it is worn. The is traditionally made from dozens of components arranged in horizontal rows, or storeys (projected lines). The top row forms the base of the necklace, with connecting parts (usually serial pendants) densely strung upon a cotton or silk thread, extending downwards lengthwise, in identical columns forming the horizontal lines. It consists of one or more rows of parts, whose shapes are varied: diamond-shaped
rhomboids, squares and rectangles, round beads or
rosettes. Most contain smooth plates of metal, in circular and diamond-shaped (
rhombus) forms, and are studded with jewels called in Arabic , meaning,
pearls,
amber,
corals and
colored glass.
Scabbards for men's daggers Traditionally, most non-Jewish Yemeni men wear a characteristic dagger () with elaborate handles attached to their belt. The scabbards are made from wood and covered with leather, and if the bearer can afford it, the scabbards are adorned with an elaborate silver or even a
gilded cover. Mainly produced in Sanaa, but also with regional variations, there are two main forms, the worn by tribesmen in the middle of their body, and the (plural ), worn at the right side by members of the former leading classes, the Saiyids and the Qadis. The upper part of these scabbards is often decorated with a broad metal band or collar, called the
locket, usually crafted of silver, engraved or pierced in
scrollwork patterns or studded with small granules or glass beads in geometric patterns. At the lower end, the scabbard ends with a metal cap called the
chape, that may prolong the scabbard's tip in a curved way almost up to the
hilt. The common type of chape ends in a round knob or cone-shaped point, and they are usually made of thin silver
alloy.
Techniques While silver granules can also be made by dropping melted silver into cold water, in Yemen, most silversmiths used a different technique. The silver granules () were prepared from a silver wire, cut into small pieces, which were then covered by
embers that were heated by a flame, by which they obtained their round shape. This process forms perfectly round granules, or "droplets", that were soldered onto the piece of jewellery as desired.
Granulation was a common form of decorative technique used in the making of rings, bracelets and large necklaces. Granulated necklaces were the most complicated to make, where the use of granulation was central. From these granules, the artisans prepared – the rose-like cluster consisting of seven granules, and – the diamond-shaped rhombus consisting of nine granules, the mulberry beads known as for the
choker necklace (), among other items. Silver wires were made in Yemen by taking raw, unshaped silver ( in Arabic), This produced
ingots. Different sizes of wire were obtained by extruding the wire ingot through a steel, perforated device called (see #Terminology). The silversmith would hold down the device between his feet and pull on the wire with a pair of tongs or forceps (nippers), and, occasionally, with his own teeth to tighten the grip on the tongs. By applying force by moving his entire body weight left and right, he would eventually succeed in stretching the wire and threading it through the hole. Such wires served as one of the basic elements of design for most jewellery pieces. The heaviest metals were first put inside the crucible (Arabic: ) for melting, followed by the lighter metals: silver and copper, brought to a boiling state, after which the craftsman added lead, followed by sulphur. Once the sulphur was added to the mixture and stirred, the craftsman poured the molten metal into a flat
mold (Arabic: ) made of
molding sand (a process known as
casting), which was done before the sulphur burnt out. The mold was made with many sunken, groove-like impressions and insertable slots running lengthwise where the craftsman poured the molten metal to form either rods (wires) or plaques. Experienced silversmiths in Yemen would cast the desired shape by first adding (a solder made of crude borax) into a mold with powdered sulphur. In Yemen, there were no
micrometers. The flat sheet of silver was then cut with
snips to its desired size, after which it was rolled over the rounded end of an iron implement (having one end that was rounded), similar to a
ball-peen hammer (Arabic: ), until it was fashioned into what resembled a hollow pipe. After emptying-out the lead, the craftsman then welded the two halves together at their respective ends, leaving one or two small holes in the bracelet, so that when it was reheated it did not burst due to the accumulation of vapors. Over the brazier there was a grid-iron to support the bracelet. During this process, the bracelet was turned over the fire so as to melt the powdered substance applied to it. Afterwards, the bracelet was removed from the brazier and allowed to cool, and was once again burnished with finely ground sea sand. == Terminology ==