Describing Jewels and Jewelry

[tetramorph]

Hey folks, just a question:

When you guys roll up some random jewels and jewelry, how do you describe it to make it interesting?

What resources do you use to generate these descriptions?

What are some traditional names of medieval western jewelry types?

Just looking for resources and ideas.

Thanks!

[Scott Anderson]

Courtney Campbell of Hack & Slash hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/?m=1 has the best and most evocative treasure in the OSR o sphere. Just page back through a couple few months of stuff.

[Porphyre]

You can also find interesting stuff on Abulafia random generators :

"a bronze ring with the inscription “Third Redemption” written in an Unknown Tongue. Its design is reminiscent of other, similar pieces known to have been made by sophisticated but savage humanoid tribes."

"a copper and electrum pair of greaves, with silver filigree and set with a Serpentine. It seems to be a relatively recent replica of an older style made famous by the same culture that produced the ruins scattered throughout the area."

"a pewter and elephant ivory headdress, set with a Sunstone. It is of simple but elegant workmanship."

www.www.random-generator.com/index.php?title=Jewelry

[talysman]

In the past, I haven't been too descriptive. I've used the DMG table for type of gemstone, but my descriptions were usually just "you find 3 rubies and a silver emerald ring".

These days, I lean towards even simpler rules in general, so I might even skip rolling gem names, or just using a table I have associating two letters with each number from 1 to 10. I roll an R or Z (0 on d10) and pick a gem name that starts with R or Z: ruby, rose quartz or zircon. Or rhinestone! Or make up a fantasy gem name that starts with that letter.

But I might also define in advance a cultural style for a particular dungeon (gems used, jewelry types, image motifs) and improvise all jewelry and gem-studded items based on that.

I'd generally only get more descriptive if the item is more important somehow: a clue, a macguffin, a cursed item, or a magic item.

[tetramorph]

Great resources, Scott Anderson and Porphyre, thanks!

I like the rules-lite feel you are describing, talysman. I guess I just want to know what ancient and medieval jewelry looked like and its various names, etc. It is just a part of the "legendaria" I feel ignorant concerning.

Thanks!

[talysman]

Oh, and jewelry types... hmm, I usually go with rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and circlets/crowns. And occasional bejeweled items. But off the top of my head:

1. Foot Jewelry: toe rings, jeweled spurs, anklets, bejeweled sandals, slippers, and boots.
2. Legwear: bejeweled shinguards/greaves
3. Waist: belt buckles and belts, bejeweled sashes
4. Chest: brooches, medals, lapel pins
5. Arms, Hands, Fingers: bracelets, armbands, rings, bejeweled gloves
6. Neck: necklace, pendant, medallion, torc
7. Face/Ears: nosering, earring
8. Head: circlet, crown, coronet

Edit: Wikipedia reminded me of combs, hairpins, and gorgets, and something I didn't know the medieval name for: fibula, basically a fancy clothing fastner/safety pin. Sorry I don't know too many medieval jewelry names. I barely know any modern jewelry names.

I seem to recall that the Sir Topas poem in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales cataloged all sorts of jewelry that the knight was wearing.

[Scott Anderson]

Dressing rings, codpieces, chastity belts, bustiers.

[tetramorph]

By the way, Porphyre, thanks for ruining my life.

Now that I know about abulafia, my career, my relationship, they're all meaningless.

All I can do is keep hitting "refresh."

;)

[talysman]

That's all anyone can ever do, really.
=)

[Porphyre]

Mar 31, 2015 12:56:45 GMT -6 tetramorph said:

By the way, Porphyre, thanks for ruining my life.

Yes. But misery likes company.

[tetramorph]

I came up with some random tables and posted it over at @theperilousdreamer's forum on house rules and campaigns.

ruinsofmurkhill.proboards.com/thread/230/describing-gems-jewelry

If you visit, let me know what you think over there.

Thanks