The bees of Malia

One of the most renowned jewelry designs of all time, The Bees of Malia, an incredible artifact hosted by the Heraklion Μuseum, Crete.

The bees of Malia are considered to be of the most definitive archaeological findings of Jewelry from the Minoan civilization. These gold bees are depicted storing away a drop of honey in a comb. 

The finding is displayed at the 'Heraklion' Αrchaeological Μuseum in Crete. It dates back more than 3800 years. Excavated by the French from the Chrysolakkos necropolis in Mallia, Crete, first published in 1930 (P. Demargne, BCH54 (1930) pp.404-21 and pl.19).

Even with today's standards, the skill and craftsmanship evident on the Malia bees is phenomenal and unsurpassed, and still leaves even the most skilled jeweler breathless and bewildered with its granulated detail and extremely challenging structure. This item constitutes one of the most important and renowned specimens of Minoan art and ancient jewelry on a universal level.

Greek text jewellery

Greek text on jewelry? A great idea particularly when the text is significant for us. Suggesting 2 silver rings available from Amazon! Please comment with your own suggestions if you have any of your own jewelry ideas to recommend to other readers.

(Clicking on images takes you to size details and ordering information)

For him:

Sterling Silver Greek "Pray Without Ceasing" Men's Ring by Bob Siemon

For her: Agape (love) ring by Bob Siemon - offered in female only sizing.

The Greek owl of wisdom

The owl of wisdom pendant was inspired from the Athenian tetradrachm depictions of the sacred animal and designed in the mid 1960's by Eleftherios Vaphiadis. This product is available at www.GreekJewelryShop.com

The illuminating albeit detached glare of Athena's owl, one of the most sacred symbols in archaic Greece has been magnificently portrayed by skilled artisans in our workshop over 40 years ago.

The symbolism of the owl was virtue and Wisdom. The owl was usually depicted accompanying the virgin Goddess Athena, to whom perhaps the most significant shrine of classical antiquity, the Parthenon, was built in honor of. Worship towards Athene peaked during the golden age of Pericles (aprox 461 BC to 379 BC). During this inspiring age of wisdom that philosophy, architecture, medicine, theatre and the arts first became a fabric to society to set grounds to an array of social fundaments as they are today, whilst the radical concept of democracy was also established.

In tribute, for the wisdom that had helped humanity reach new horizons of civilization, the owl was depicted on various denominations of the tetradrachm in the 5th Century BC to reach every part of the known world and spread its important meaning. Today, more than 2 millenia later, this owl still has it's honorary place on the Greek 1 Euro coin.

Buy item 263 "Wise Owl Pendant"