Jewelry

Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Earrings

gold, diamonds
eighteenth century
Portugal
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photo: Luísa Oliveira

Button

white metal, minas novas
eighteenth century
Portugal ?
Museu Nacional do Traje e da Moda, Lisbon

Buttons are common in inventories, often made of gold. This example contains what are called "minas novas," meaning "new mines." This name was given to a variety of gems found in Minas Gerais.

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Photo: José Pessoa

Bodice Ornament

gilded silver, topazes, minas novas
second half of the eighteenth century
Museu de Évora

This piece of jewelry which would have been attached to a woman's bodice contains three of the many precious resources from Minas Gerais: gold, minas novas and topazes.

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