The use of jewelry has always been widespread in Yemeni society, and it is an interesting fact that Jews and Muslims wore different pieces of jewelry. There was a big difference in the use of traditional jewelry, from one part of the country to another, what was used and when was clearly defined in each place.
Amber beads were used mainly by Sanaani Muslim women, but in rural areas they were also worn by Jewish girls.
Rural areas showed fewer differences than large cities like Sana’a. The life of the city for the Jews was more inland and had less contact with the Muslim population.
Most of the jewelers were Jewish themselves and worked long hours on minute details to produce these fine filigree beauties.
The fact that Jewish and Muslim women’s clothing was different shows another reason why different jewelry was worn. Muslim women used to wear headscarves and Jews an accessory called gargush, which looks like a hood. The jewelry Muslim women needed was mainly to hold the scarves together, the Jewish jewelry was pieces to add to the hood, such as gold filigree, silver clasps, coins like the Maria Theresia Thaler, and various dangling beads. Some of the gargush pendants were shaped like everyday things, such as grains of wheat or barley, which were used to make everyday bread. Shapes representing the fertility of nature give symbolic meaning to clothing and jewelry.
Another interesting aspect in the relations between Muslims and Jews in Yemen was the fact that for some specific occasions, it was important to wear jewelry made by “the other”, that is, not us, our community or made by a foreigner. These jewels were supposed to have a special blessing (baraka). Spherical beaded dugags were normally worn by Muslim women on a daily basis, but were especially worn by Jewish women on their wedding day. Jewish children also wear spherical dugags for added protection. The special care of women and children stems from exposure to many unattended pregnancies and the natural vulnerability of children.
Jewish silversmiths used to have both Muslim and Jewish clients, they also worked for the actual Muslims, especially working with gold instead of the usual silver. These jewelers also worked decorating the daggers that were used by Muslims but not by Jewish men. This decoration includes some parts of the dagger as charms and other accessories worn with the belt and dambia.
It is an interesting point that some of the jewelers were rabbis, they used to study the holy texts and also dedicated their lives to goldsmithing. What I find very interesting is that, as they were students of Kabbalah and the Bible, they knew the symbolic meaning of the designs, their amuletic connotations, and their connection to the Kabbalistic texts. The fine techniques used in the creation of Yemeni jewelry were passed down generation after generation as family secrets. During the last government of Yemen’s imam, some Jewish silversmiths were called upon to teach their skills to Muslim jewelers, as most of the Jewish community was leaving the country for the Holy Land. Today there is some jewelry in the new Jewish style, but the old originals show the best techniques, such as Bedihi granulation and the best examples of Bawsani filigree.