Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Parure

pa⋅rure Pronunciation [puh-roor]
a matching set of jewels or ornaments. French, from Old French, adornment, from parer, to adorn.

From the Encyclopedia
parure-matched set of jewelry consisting of such pieces as earrings, bracelet, brooch, necklace, and ring. By the mid-17th century, jewels had ceased to be created as individual works of art expressing some idea or fancy and had instead become mere personal ornaments that were beautiful but lacking in any deeper significance. Consequently, as the forms of jewels tended to become stereotyped, the matching set of jewels, or parure, became the dominant style in jewelry.

"PARURE." © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. 30 Dec. 2009. .

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