Jewellery Making in Al-Ahsa Authenticity and Professionalism

Ahmad Abdul Hadi Al-Muhammad Salih - Saudi Arabia

Al-Ahsa women gave great importance to their jewellery, tying it closely to attractiveness and beauty. This paper has tried to shed light on the close relationship between women and gold, and the stages gold goes through from manufacturing to marketing and until the product reaches women in the form of beautiful jewellery. 

In the paper we will also present some of the well-known types of jewellery in the Al-Ahsa market. Al Ahsa has a historical fame in the gold and jewellery industry and some families became known as the goldsmiths (Sagha). 

The woman in Al-Ahsa loved to wear luxurious jewellery and wore many different kinds of jewellery. Adornment jewels varied from one woman to another, and was according to the social situation and living conditions.

The country experienced hard times that even reached the point of starvation and destitution, and it ended up in extreme poverty. Therefore, possessing gold depended on the circumstances of each family. Because of the inability of the husband to afford the purchase of gold, the wife was forced to wear cheaper items.

Still, many families in the region enjoy good economic status and can buy valuable jewellery. Others save money for a long time to purchase jewellery, especially gold jewellery for weddings.

In the region, there are periods of time during which economic prosperity is high, such as the diving season and the date-reaping season, during which the purchasing power rises for those who work in these two professions.