Symbols: meanings and signifiers
One of the key works in the history of anthropology is The Jungle of Symbols , by Victor Turner (1967). Don't worry, we won't go into detail about his theories now, but it is worth mentioning a concept that Turner takes from linguistics and semiotics to explain symbols, defining them as a relationship between a meaning and a signifier .
Let's explain it better: in language, “tree” has a meaning , which is the real tree; and a signifier , which is the word that we have agreed would represent the real tree. So with symbols, the same: one thing is the concept or idea that we have in mind - the meaning -, and the other is the ritual, gesture or form through which we share this concept or idea - the signifier -.
If we give a concrete example we will understand it even better. Let's apply it to our field, which is jewelry: giving a piece of jewelry to say “I love you” is a symbolic gesture. In this case, “I love you” would be the concept or idea - the meaning -, and giving a piece of jewelry would be the gesture through which we share it with the loved one - the signifier -. Forever and ever, that piece of jewelry will have the power to evoke the appreciation of the person who gave it to us ... That's GREAT!
And why is giving jewelry as a gift symbolic?
We do not know why, at a very remote moment in humanity, someone decided to give a piece of jewelry to another person to show them love, or respect, or veneration, or a commitment. It must have been so long ago that in the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean it had already become a custom. The objects we give as gifts have a cultural value that is shared by both people, the one who gives the gift and the one who receives it. Gifts, above all, are a sign of generosity.
Surely, the fact of giving jewelry has to do with the fact that precious metals and gems have been difficult to obtain resources, which are not abundant in nature, and, in addition, the process of transforming them into a jewel requires work and expertise that not everyone has. But then, in addition, the materials with which jewelry is made have been covered with a particular symbolism -symbols, again!-. The colors of the gems, for example: red symbolizes passion or energy; pink, tenderness and self-love; blue transmits confidence and calm. The shapes are also loaded with connotations, the heptagon symbolizes totality and balance, while the circle is eternity.
Gifts that tell stories
However, to all the symbolic charge that a jewel has, another value must be added, which is a very objective fact: durability . There is hardly any gift that has more longevity than a well-made jewel , which is capable of passing from generation to generation, and transmitting the unique story behind it. Preserving the symbolic value without losing the material value.
And in the meantime, that jewel - the signifier - will evoke the esteem, the commitment that it originally represented - the meaning -. Every time we put on that pendant, every time we see the fleeting reflection of the gem in a ring, the intimate connection with the person who gave it to us, the moment we received it, will be activated. It will make the emotions last in our memory. And that is priceless...
