People have been raising their gaze to look at the skies for millennia. Seeking answers in astronomy and astrology, placing deities on celestial bodies or believing in life outside of our planet, the sky seems to carry mysterious answers to many of our questions. The crescent moon dates back to 2000 BC, and many scholars argue that it is the oldest symbol known to man. The sun and the stars have also been right there with the moon since antiquity. Let’s explore how the symbols from the sky have fallen onto our necks, fingers, ears and wrists as gem encrusted jewels.
The crescent moon, stars and sun in ancient times
The moon has always been associated with female energy and empowerment. In Greek mythology the deity representing the moon was goddess Selene. She was said to be in love with Endymion, a youthful king, who was either gifted or punished by Zeus (versions vary) to be eternally asleep. According to myth, Selene visited him every night, and bore him 50 daughters. Dodgy. I am not sure what the moral that story tried to convey, but to the ancient Greeks it was reason enough to pray to the moon goddess asking for fertility.
The Romans took over the identity of Selene and converted her to Luna, but left her largely with the same story. In addition, the symbol of the crescent moon was also associated with Diana’s bow. Diana, the goddess of the hunt, was also the face of purity and chastity. Quite the contrast to bearing 50 daughters by Selene/Luna. It would be prudent to conclude that the moon as a symbol may mean that women should have the choice to do whatever they want, a village of children or none at all with zero judgement. Suddenly, ancient symbols fit right into modern problems.
The sun was represented by both male and female gods. In Greek mythology this was Helios, and it was Ra for Ancient Egyptians (though other sun deities included Wadjet, Sekhmet, Hathor and then Aten when Ancient Egypt went monotheistic for a minute). The sun’s movement through the sky also had a special meaning to the Ancient Egyptians as it represented a daily struggle between the Pharaoh’s soul and Osiris, the god of the deceased. And boy, do we all know this struggle today.
Baltic Lithuanian mythology had a female goddess, Saule. She was one of the main deities for Lithuanian pagans. Come to think of it, almost all, if not all, polytheistic religions had a deity representing the sun.
Meanwhile in Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, the feminine moon’s yin is the opposite to the masculine sun’s yang, showcasing a perfect balance between the genders.
And finally, stars were also seen as deities by the ancients. In Sumerian beliefs, the morning star represented Inanna or later Ishtar (same deity, different names), who was also connected to the planet Venus. Inanna was seen as the goddess of fertility, war and political power. A nice mix.
It’s also worth remembering the ancient Sumerian word to refer to their gods, anunnaki, roughly translated as descendants of the god of the sky (An) and the goddess of the earth (Ki). Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.
ALIENS.
Celestial symbols in middle ages
While Western Europe was fixated on the heavenly father, celestial symbols were not ignored in other territories.
In the Byzantine Empire, coins carried the crescent moon and stars symbols right into Ottoman times. This led to the association of the crescent moon and star with Islam, seen on many flags of Muslim countries today. This is an interesting migration of the symbol from polytheism, myth and history to a monotheistic religion, though from a scholarly theological perspective, there is no evidence that the Prophet wore the crescent and star symbol, nor alluded to it as being particularly Islamic. I have spoken to an Islamic scholar about this in detail for my article on religious jewellery here.
Meanwhile, the star of David or Magen David, now seen as the symbol of Judaism, also solidified its religious connotation in the middle ages. In antiquity, the six pointed star along with the five pointed one were used as decorative elements, and even appeared in early medieval cathedrals. As the use of the star of David increased in frequency among Jewish communities, it culminated in it becoming the official Jewish symbol in the 17th century.
Georgian and Victorian revival of the crescent moon and stars
Let’s fast forward a few centuries. Sentiment played a big role within jewellery in Georgian and Victorian times. Reviving old aesthetics played to the notion of nostalgia, a yearning for a time that can never be brought back. While many styles enjoyed comebacks including Gothic, Etruscan and Roman among others, the crescent moon and stars have solidified a special place in Victorian and Georgian jewellery.
Diamond encrusted crescents were favoured as were those with supporting symbolism, for example flowers. Known as honeymoon brooches, women wore these pieces during their honeymoon. The idea was that the flower symbolised sweet nectar and the moon symbolised a magical, changing time. This was a very long winded way of simply saying fertility.
Seen as the more romantic jewellery trend, the crescent moon was particularly popular in the late Georgian and early Victorian period, as well as after Queen Victoria’s 20 years of mourning.
But wasn’t not only the moon that enjoyed fame. Set against large canvases of onyx, stained glass or dark blue enamel, mini diamonds represented stars sparkling in the night sky. These designs were most often rings, and they were known as bagues au firmament – rings of the heavens.
Sky symbols in art nouveau and beyond
The sun as a motif although omnipresent gained popularity after the Victorian era, 1890s onwards. A movement called art nouveau was getting a big following. The jewellery remained symbolic, but the symbols themselves stopped being as pious or rigid. The female form, florals, and all creatures under the sun, including the sun itself, were favoured.
As time progressed, looking for symbols in astronomy gave way to expanding it into astrology. Constellations and star signs are jewellery pieces that we have at least considered having if not already have.
Meanwhile, the moon, stars and the sun never stopped being relevant. The classic Victorian crescent moon shape is highly sought after today, and moon brooches are often converted into pendants similar to what I am wearing in the images along with lapis lazuli earrings, a gemstone that is referred to as stone from the skies.
An interesting 80s addition to the celestial crew was moonface or the man on the moon motif, made popular by global tourists visiting Asian countries such as Indonesia or Thailand, and bringing home moonface pendants. Though it’s worth adding that the symbol itself is much older than the relatively modern 80s, and sometimes can be found on antique pieces. I can’t write about the moonface without mentioning Anthony Lent’s work. Lent’s man on the moon interpretation captivates antique lovers and modern jewellery wearers alike. It’s truly special.
Do you like celestial jewellery? Would you wear the crescent moon or are you a zodiac type of person?
2 Responses
I was very into the crescent moon melded into the sun image when I was younger. I used it in art class at school. My name means moon of course. I found this exact image on a door knocker in an antique shop in Santorini so I suppose it could be time to revive this interest and find a pendant. Stars, I’m not into.
Love your knowledge of every subject you write about.
Really like the burgundy and peach/apricot colour scheme you’ve got going on btw