Some words that have long gone out of use are still heard. Such old Russian associations may arise - Lanites, lips, eyes, and so on. For example, monisto. What is it? This is the name of a variety of antique jewelry that women put on their neck. These were products from various beads, coins or stones. Often these were silver fifty dollars.
Massive jewelry on the neck
Monisto is a magical combination of sound overflows, the ringing echo of a restless gypsy camp, massive grandeur on the chest of a Russian woman. Based on encyclopedic definitions, it’s just a necklace like a necklace that includes coins of various sizes, beads, gems, stones.
So it is, but it’s a rather dry description that cannot convey the mesmerizing appeal of this product.
This is something without which it was impossible to imagine the elegant decoration of women of antiquity. This is an obligatory attribute of beauties from the Scythian tribes, Russian young ladies, concubines from eastern harems and freedom-loving gypsy girls.
It consisted of copper, silver or gold coins, expensive gems or modest stones, on a chain of precious metal or on a simple rope. The elements used in the necklace are an indicator of the status and level of well-being of its owner.
Meaning of the word “monisto”
Many dictionaries provide similar descriptions. The most common definitions are:
- neck jewelry, which consists of a cord with beads strung on it;
- a necklace of glass beads, silver coins and a variety of pebbles;
- product from coins, pearls, corals;
- a kind of neck jewelry with golden monists and various stones;
- women's necklace made of beads, coins, crosses, colored stones, which was worn around the neck as an accessory to complement the folk costume.
Modern fashion trends
In the fashion trends of our time there will always be a place for something from the past. Monisto is a beautiful ancient necklace that enjoys great success in the world of jewelry and can be relevant for a variety of occasions: from an ordinary fashion party to a wedding celebration.
"... It costs more than your whole house"
Monisto is one of the oldest gizmos, which were a chain, a cord with crosses, coins and so on. Often this name was also mentioned in ancient chronicles when describing women of those times. Western European travelers who were visiting the tsarist empire could have stated in their memoirs something like: “A Slav can carry as much money on her neck as her whole house does not cost.”
Flat metal hardware
Monisto often looks like a flat, decorated with various elements metal fittings, used mainly by women of various nations of the world.
Shapes and sizes are very diverse. The word itself is directly related to the word "coins", from where the name of this beauty came from.
We can say that these are the ancestors of many modern types of jewelry. In the same way as many centuries ago, today women of different ages, cultures and nationalities continue to wear these magical things in their own way.