[MR] Jewelry sumptuary laws

[Jacqueline Lee]

As one of the few people who remember the time the first Triton tried to pass a set of sumptuary laws only to have it voted down almost unanimously (and this was PRE-kingdom) I can tell you that there are not really any written in stone.  However there are a few guidelines that he should know which are more common sense and courtesy than anything else.

1. Avoid using designs which might be mistaken for the known badges of orders.  Look up the orders and their badges on the kingdom webpage and it will give you a good idea what is reserved, having said that, producing badges for those who have the orders in question can be VERY lucrative  If he might be selling in neighboring kingdoms he might want to look on their webpages as well as some of them do have sumptuary laws.

2. Unadorned chains are the badge of a knight.  (And again, if he does good work there are a lot of knights and friends and retainers of knights who might be shopping.)

3. If he wants to do circlets or coronets.  The circlet that can be worn by anyone (though traditionalists say it should only be by armigers) should be a metal band with nothing sticking up above the band.  Again there is no hard and fast rule but as a general custom these are 3/4" wide or less, most being in the 1/2" or less area.  The coronet of a Baron/ess has "pearls" (balls of about any material, 6 for Court, 7 for Territorial) on top of the band.  The coronet of a Count/ess is embattled on the top and generally at least an inch wide or wider and that of a Duke/ess is the same size but decorated with strawberry leaves.  Take a look at a picture of the Kingdom crowns and coronets and don't make anything flashier than those.

    The main thing to remember is that he doesn't really have to worry as much about what he is selling as what he is wearing.  I've made badges for many orders I don't have.  What I would suggest is that before making up a bunch of designs he go to a few events to see what people are wearing and that he look at a few good books on period jewelry.  Also he could get a feel of what goes over well by talking to a few established jewelers.  If he has a question on whether a proposed design is too close to an established badge let him ask his local herald, that's their area of expertise.  Beyond that, extend to him my welcome and I look forward to seeing what he has to offer.

Megara




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