Turkmens are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and north-eastern regions of Iran and Afghanistan. Sizeable groups of Turkmens are found also in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the North Caucasus. Their bold and intricate jewellery represents the Turkoman tribes’ form of transportable wealth worn for special festivities or daily adornment. Turkmen silver jewellery displays deep symbolic meanings, and often marked the passage from one stage of life to another. Central Asian jewellery is so striking that the elaborate stone-inlaid items, stamped and engraved with graceful designs, might seem to be purely for the sake of adornment; in reality, almost all are amuletic in intent. From a very early age, Turkmen women start wearing jewellery whose shapes and materials were believed to protect and ensure her ability to bear healthy children. The amount of jewellery young women wore increased as they approached marriageable age. Fine silver jewellery was believed to ward off evil and illness, as well as serve as Dowry. Significant in size and weight, traditional Turkmen jewellery was made of fine silver, decorated with semi-precious stones, and sometimes gilded with near pure gold for an added colour effect and increased value. Traditional shapes found on Turkmen jewellery include abstract mountains, animals, horns, and plants. In addition to the protective benefits of the fine silver metal itself, the semi-precious stones that embellish the jewellery are also imbued with protective powers. Cabochons of Carnelian, a rich red coloured Agate stone, are popular because they are believed to protect the wearers from illness and death. Carnelian is also believed to promote strong, healthy blood and ease in childbirth. Carnelian has featured in nearly every great civilization. From the royalty of Ur (the Mesopotamian capital of pre-Biblical times) to Napoleon, carnelian has been revered for its healing, spiritual and creative qualities. A deeply religious stone, carnelian was used by the Egyptian goddess Isis to protect the dead on their journey to the afterlife; it was one of the stones on Aaron’s breast plate of judgment; it is the symbol of the apostle Philip; and Muhammad’s seal was an engraved carnelian set in a silver ring. To this day Buddhists in China, India and Tibet, and Turkmen in the Margiana believe in the protective powers of carnelian and often follow the Egyptian practice of setting the stone with turquoise and lapis lazuli for enhanced power.