My Jewellery, My Story
The Cossington Necklace
Exhibition at Charnwood Museum
25 Jan – 15 June 2025
https://www.charnwoodmuseum.co.uk/
People have loved wearing jewellery for thousands of years. Occasionally it’s useful, sometimes it’s for decoration and often it holds special memories.
Jewellery can also show what someone believes, how wealthy they are, or what is important to them.
The discovery of the Cossington Necklace
In 1999, archaeologists working at a quarry in Cossington,
Leicestershire, found something amazing. In a grave from the Early Bronze Age, they uncovered 13 beads, positioned as if worn as a necklace. These beads came from places like Whitby, Dorset and as far away as the Baltic Sea. Incredibly they were made almost 4,000 years ago!
You can see the necklace on display at Charnwood Museum.
Our project
We don’t know much about the person buried with this necklace. Who were they? What was their story? We may never know exactly why this beautiful necklace was buried, but it suggests the person’s life was important, and their jewellery carried meaning. We asked local people to share their own stories about their jewellery to help us understand their stories and connections. Their responses show how much jewellery still means to us today, just like it did in the past.
Explore our journey
BACA
Discover the stories and jewellery that have been shared by young people who have been forced to flee their home country, because of war, persecution, or trafficking.
Find out more about 'BACA'
Digital Storytelling
For My Jewellery, My Story, participants created films about jewellery that was special to them. Discover these films at the Exhibition.
Find out more about 'Digital Storytelling'
Giant bead making workshops
People from across Charnwood came together to make their own giant beads which would form part of a giant necklace.
Find out more about 'Giant bead making workshops'
Our Museum Collections
In this exhibition we share jewellery from our archaeology collection and our world cultures collection.
Find out more about 'Our Museum Collections'