Turkmen fire-gilded bracelet "Bilezik" 04.01.1439
Women in the nomadic communities of what is today Turkmenistan often wore heavy, conspicuous jewellery. While commonly worn on special occasions, wealthy women often wear them every day. Girls were provided with such pieces on marriage as part of their dowry and the pieces were added to as the couple grew more affluent. This pair of cuff bracelets is an example of such jewellery. The fire gilding that has been used in the bracelets is characteristic of Tekke jewellery. The process involved the application of an amalgam of mercury and gold to the surface of the silver. Heating causes the mercury to evaporate leaving a gold layer fixed to the surface. The process was extremely dangerous on account of the mercury fumes.