)īaudelaire writes of the bijou's function thus in his novel Les Bijoux, as does Diderot in Les bijoux indiscrets. Sometimes the gemstone is made of glass to emphasise this fragility and essential uselessness, such as those made by Foire de Beaucaire ( Gard-France) in the 18th century (The name comes from the small cry made by the wearer when it was torn from her. The bijou is usually given as a symbol of eternal love, and also its fragility: it can be easily broken, lost or discarded.

Sometimes the bijou will have, hidden under a clasp, a photograph of the lover-to-be, or a strand of their hair, or one of their baby teeth. Symbols may be religious or allegorical (two hands intertwined, for example, indicate the love of two fools, like Romeo and Juliet) Pansies ( French: fleurs de pensée, literally 'Flowers of thought') indicate 'I am thinking of you'. In French it is sometimes called a souvenir, but this is a false friend, souvenir being the infinitive for the verb 'to remember'.īijouterie, the art of making or wearing bijoux, has thus developed its own private language or rebus known only to the initiated. It has a special meaning to the wearer, and similarly to that of an engagement ring, is displayed publicly and proudly. ( September 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī bijou can be used in daily life as various significands by the wearer, and can be put on scarves, capes, hats, handbags, and so on.īijoux are often given as a symbol of love, specifically to one person. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. A fish symbol, often called an Ichthys, indicates that the wearer is a Christian. The date, generally, is that of the birth of the wearer. They may also be used for fun in guessing-games. Generally, a significant date is inscribed thereon, and perhaps their birth colour, or their astrological sign, a patron saint, or other magic symbols. In a crowd, it may thus distinguish them from others supporting other riders, depending on how dedicated each are to recognise the symbol.īijoux are often used for physical therapy, like amulets. They are also used as purely identification symbols, for example the Companions of the Tour de France wear them as earrings to show their allegiance to a particular rider. Traditionally, these kind of bijou have jade, or other black stone.īijoux can indicate the membership of some group, be it a religion, a profession, a political allegiance, one of ethnicity or sex, or allegiance to a sports team: as wristbands might do in other cultures. Nevertheless, it is possible roughly to categorise: In high society Ī bijou can be a mark of social status, and indicates whether the wearer is married, engaged, a debutante, and so forth. These have varied over time and space, and really its perceived function is dictated by the wearer, not those who view it. bijoux) is an intricate jewellery piece incorporated into clothing, or worn by itself on the body.īesides its decorative function, a bijou serves as a signal for many other purposes. A bijou (plural: bijoux) from the French bijou (pl.

Bijouterie jewellery