Analysis of the Fettercairn Jewel and comparative Scottish Renaissance jewellery

Abstract

• Renaissance jewellery pieces often demonstrate highly developed artistic and technological skills and combine precious gemstones, pearls, gold, translucent and opaque enamels to reflect an individual's wealth, social status or political loyalties.1 Although there has been significant research published on Renaissance jewellery from an art historical point of view, the amount of analytical data available on the materials used in their making is somewhat sparse for the sixteenth century.2