| When the brave and experienced fighting Christian | | | | pattern on the metal. "Damas" in Arabic means |
| knights trekked the long route to the holy lands | | | | water and it is sometimes thought that the term |
| to fight the Muslims they were in for a terrible | | | | Damascus steel originates from this and the |
| surprise. They were beaten and beaten hard and | | | | pattern on the metal which resembles various |
| repeatedly and eventually sent packing back to | | | | forms of windswept, rippling water. |
| England and Europe defeated. | | | | So today we have some stunning jewellery in the |
| What they were not prepared for was the secret | | | | form of rings, bangles, chokers and bracelets |
| weapon of the enemy they came to easily | | | | called Damascus Jewellery. It has this |
| slaughter in the name of God. The Muslim fighters | | | | characteristic pattern, mostly a swirling, twisting, |
| had a superior weapon and that was Damascus | | | | overlapping effect. |
| steel. | | | | Ore was smelted in Hyberdad in southern India |
| Their swords and daggers were made from this | | | | and put into crucibles and made into solid pieces |
| vastly superior steel. It is said, and probably a | | | | of metal called billets. These billets were taken to |
| fanciful bit of exaggeration, that a Damascus | | | | Damascus in Syria and forged into swords and |
| sword could slice through a silk scarf falling | | | | daggers. The metal was folded and melted |
| through the air. True or not, the Damascus sword | | | | together, folded again, and this process was |
| was amazingly sharp but also much stronger than | | | | continued until it was finally melted and hammered |
| normal steel. | | | | into a sword with great strength and beauty. |
| So the Muslims had the capability to cut a strand | | | | For a couple of hundred years the metallurgy |
| of hair off or hack through the armor of the | | | | technique was lost to the world and but the |
| crusader. It is frustrating to fight sword against | | | | sword smith techniques have continued so today |
| sword when your opponent's weapon can break | | | | we can get a Damascus ring made from two |
| yours in half. | | | | different metals hammered and forged together |
| This technology is used in some special jewellery | | | | with the original looking patterns of the Damascus |
| called Damascus Jewellery today. But it is not the | | | | steel. In a sense it is wrong to call it Damascus as |
| strength of the metal that is sought but the look | | | | it is only part of the original process but it doesn't |
| of it. Damascus steel is characterized by the | | | | need the original sharpness or strength either. |