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Jewelry

An employee of the Historical Circle Kesteren at a dig in the Dutch village of Ommeren, where researchers hoped to find treasure German soldiers buried during World War II

What Happened to the Treasure Nazis Buried in This Dutch Village?

The Dutch National Archives released a map supposedly leading to the trove of jewelry, coins and precious stones in January

An artist's interpretation of what the pendant may have looked like as a necklace

New Research

Ancient DNA Reveals Who Wore This 20,000-Year-Old Pendant

Researchers have found a new way to extract human DNA from porous artifacts

The spiraled crafted work On the Air by Jeong Ju Lee is made to flow with the contour of the model's shoulder.

These Asian American Artists Merge Traditional Aesthetics With Contemporary Practices

Jewelers Reiko Ishiyama and Jeong Ju Lee redefine the “American Spirit” at the Smithsonian’s upcoming Craft Show

The ruins of structures in the newly discovered town on Siniyah Island

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Find the Persian Gulf’s First Known Pearling Town

Located 30 miles north of Dubai, the settlement dates to the sixth century C.E.

The full treasure includes 4 ear pendants, 39 silver coins and 2 strips of gold leaf.

Cool Finds

1,000-Year-Old Gold Earrings and Silver Coins Unearthed in the Netherlands

Lorenzo Ruijter, a Dutch treasure hunter, discovered the cache with his metal detector

One of the pieces of Cambodian jewelry returned by the estate of antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford

Looted Gold Jewelry Returns to Cambodia

Now back in Phnom Penh, the 77 items may have been worn by Angkorian royalty

Two of the gemstones discovered at a Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, England

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Gemstones in Drain Beneath a Roman Bathhouse

The stones, known as intaglios, likely fell from the rings of wealthy bathers

The gold pendant likely dates to around 1521.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Gold Pendant Celebrating Henry VIII’s First Marriage

The heart-shaped accessory features the entwined initials of the Tudor king and Catherine of Aragon

The finely crafted, decorative ceramics

Archaeologists Unearth 3,000-Year-Old Wishing Well in Germany

The Bronze Age well was full of decorative ceramics, jewelry and other items likely used for ritual purposes

A photo of the necklace discovered in England, alongside a depiction of what it may have once looked like

Cool Finds

Necklace Unearthed in Medieval Woman’s Grave Is a ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime Discovery’

Researchers say the woman may have been an early Christian leader with a large fortune

Inside the wedding ring's band is an inscription in French that translates to "I hold your faith, hold mine.”

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds Medieval Wedding Ring in Near-Perfect Condition

Discovered five inches underground, the rare 14th-century artifact could sell for $47,000

Pieces of Forrest Fenn's treasure

You Can Own a Piece of Forrest Fenn’s Treasure

The valuable artifacts, hidden in the Rocky Mountains for more than a decade, are going up for auction

All of the jewelry archaeologists unearthed from a Viking Age site north of Stockholm

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Trove of Viking Age Jewelry in Sweden

The 1,000-year-old neck rings, finger rings, pearls and coins were in near-pristine condition

The emerald was on the Atocha, a Spanish vessel that sunk in 1622.

Cool Finds

Rare Emerald Discovered in 300-Year-Old Shipwreck Could Sell for $70,000

Proceeds from the sale will go toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

This year's Craft2Wear Show features over 60 premier jewelry, leather and wearables artisans from across the country.

The Art of Wearing Works of Art

From Japanese kimono silks to Navajo jewelry, Smithsonian’s 2022 Craft2Wear brings shoppers into a world of wearable craft and design

Images from eight decades of the queen’s life were projected onto the megaliths this week.

Images of Elizabeth II Graced Stonehenge This Week—and Pagans Aren’t Happy

Projections on the Neolithic stones have proven controversial before

Tiara, Cartier London, special order, 1936. Platinum, diamonds, turquoise. Sold to The Honorable Robert Henry Brand. Cartier Collection.

How Islamic Art Influenced One of Fashion’s Most Famous Jewelers

A new exhibition traces how Middle Eastern patterns and motifs inspired—and fueled—Cartier

Actress Blake Lively wore a Statue of Liberty–inspired gown whose copper bow unfurled into a blue-green train.

Gilded Age Excess Lived on at the 2022 Met Gala

Celebrities paid tribute to the era of extravagance through gold-adorned ensembles, splashy headdresses and more

The four-day Smithsonian Craft Show opens April 20 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., offering the works of 120 artists (above: an array of offerings).

Nine Artists on What It Means to Create

Forty years of bringing critical attention to the nation’s best-known makers in the arts is celebrated at this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show

Scientists studied more than 1,500 beads made from ostrich egg shells from across 31 sites in Africa, and found that they were nearly identitical in shape and size, suggesting an early form of social networking. 

New Research

A 50,000-Year-Old Fashion Statement Could Be One of the World’s Oldest Social Networks

Nearly identical beads carved from ostrich eggshells, found over a large region of Africa, might have been a first in cool trends

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