Ah Valentine’s Day, the centuries old holiday dedicated to romantic love and gift giving. Like so many of our modern holidays, this February festival of love started as a Roman pagan fertility celebration, the Lupercalia festival celebrated between February 13 and February 15. During this time lovers would exchange gifts of devotion and commitment to each other.
But how did it come to be called Valentine’s Day then? After the Roman Emperor Claudius banned weddings in an effort to fill his army with men with no family ties, a Christian priest named Valentine defied the emperor and continued to perform secret weddings. Discovering the deception, the Emperor ordered Valentine to be beheaded on February 14th. Valentine’s devotion to marrying lovers despite the danger, is what makes Valentine’s day so precious, and it’s likely why so many people get engaged on that day.
Centuries later when the Christianized Emperor Constantine banned the pagan Lupercalia festival, it was a natural transition for Christians to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day as a festival of love instead. They celebrated it through giving gifts of love and commitment which included handmade cards, sweets and of course jewelry.
During the medieval era, lords and knights would present their sweethearts with rings and necklaces as gestures of courtly love. Giving jewelry as a Valentine’s Day gift became even more common during the Renaissance as new methods of jewelry making were discovered by goldsmiths and jewelers.
Later in 1840, the invention of the metal press improved jewelry manufacturing and made jewelry more accessible and affordable to the average man, making Valentine’s Day jewelry even more popular.
The most popular Valentine’s jewelry includes rings and pendants and necklaces that incorporate hearts in the design as it perfectly captures an expression of love and devotion. Many couples choose to exchange matching pieces of jewelry such as couples rings or pendants that match.
At Judy’s Jewelry we have a plethora of vintage jewelry to buy. When you are giving your loved one a Valentine’s Day gift, you want it to be unique, one of a kind, since of course they are that in your life. When you come into Judy’s you will find these one of a kind gifts.
Judy’s Jewelry Antiques and Estate Jewelry is a family owned and operated company. With over 30 years of experience as Southwest Florida’s leading Antique and Estate Dealer in Fort Myers, FL, you can expect expert customer service whether we are appraising your antiques or selling you fine jewelry. Come in to get an honest appraisal of your items from owner, Sal Lanzieri. We are the largest buyer of antique, vintage and costume jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, coins and other precious metals in SWFL. We love history and sharing our knowledge of pieces and their place in time with our customers. Come look over our ever changing inventory of vintage and antique items. Call 239-481-9600 or visit our website at https://judysjewelry-fortmyers.com/