Sequin

Sequin

Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags and other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and other signage, particularly prior to the development of lighted and neon signs. Signs made with sequins were called "schmaltz", as were the sequins themselves in that context.

Although coins are still used as sequins in some cultures, modern sequins tend to be made of plastic. They may also be referred to as spangles, paillettes, or diamantes. Paillettes themselves are commonly very large and flat. Sequins may be stitched flat to the fabric, so that they do not move, and are less likely to fall off; or they may be stitched at only one point, so that they dangle and move easily, to catch more light. Some sequins are made with facets, to increase their reflective ability.

Coins

Sequins got their name from the Arabic "sikka," meaning a coin or die. In the 13th century, the local public mint of the Republic of Venice was called "la Zecca," and the 3.5 gram gold coins it produced were known as "zecchin" or "zecchino". The French altered the Venetian word to "sequin" and it has entered English in that form.

Coins known as sequins were used for centuries throughout the Mediterranean, especially near the Persian Gulf. The Venetian gold "zecchin" first appeared in 1284. In 1478, Turkey introduced a monetary unit called the sequin. In 1535, Malta did so. Both the Turkish and the Maltese coins were gold.

In the cultures where these sequins circulated, the custom of stitching sequins and similar coins to women's clothing, particularly headdresses, face veils, and over the bosom and hips, originally arose as a way to display (and store) the family's wealth. It was this ancient custom that led to the use of sequined fabric and trims in modern fashion, and expanded the definition of "sequin" beyond coins to include this particular type of decoration.

References

* [http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/dictionary/dictionary.html The Dictionary of Coin Denominations]


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  • Sequin — vénitien de 1382 Le Sequin est une pièce d or dont la valeur s appréciait en livres, et qui avait cours dans le Levant et en Italie. Les premiers sequins ont été frappés à Venise à la fin du XIIIe siècle, sous le nom de ducato (ducat). L… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sequin — [ səkɛ̃ ] n. m. • 1595; chequin 1540; essequin fin XIVe; vénitien zecchino, ar. sikki « pièce de monnaie » 1 ♦ Ancienne monnaie d or de Venise, qui avait cours en Italie et dans le Levant. 2 ♦ Petit disque de métal perforé cousu sur un tissu pour …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sequin — Se quin, n. [F. sequin, It. zecchino, from zecca the mint, fr. Ar. sekkah, sikkah, a die, a stamp. Cf. {Zechin}.] An old gold coin of Italy and Turkey. It was first struck at Venice about the end of the 13th century, and afterward in the other… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sequin — 1610s, name of a former Italian and Turkish gold coin, from Fr. sequin, from It. zecchino, from zecca a mint, from Ar. sikkah a minting die. Meaning ornamental disc or spangle is first recorded 1882, from resemblance to a gold coin …   Etymology dictionary

  • Sequin — Sequin, S. Fondukli, S. Mahbub, in der Türkei so v.w. Zecchine …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Sequin — (spr. ßökäng), franz. Name der Zecchine, jetzt die ägyptische Goldmünze von 100 Gurusch …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • sequin — SEQUIN. s. m. Sorte de monnoye d or valant sept francs, qui est batuë à Venise, & qui a grand cours dans le Levant. Ce payement a esté fait tout en sequins …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • sequin — ► NOUN ▪ a small, shiny disc sewn on to clothing for decoration. DERIVATIVES sequinned (also sequined) adjective. ORIGIN originally denoting a former Venetian gold coin: from Italian zecchino, from an Arabic word meaning a die for coining …   English terms dictionary

  • sequin — [sē′kwin] n. [Fr < It zecchino < zecca, a mint < Ar sikka, stamp, die] 1. an obsolete gold coin of Italy and Turkey 2. a small, shiny ornament or spangle, as a metal disk, esp. one of many sewn on fabric for decoration …   English World dictionary

  • SEQUIN — s. m. Monnaie d or qui a cours dans le Levant. En Turquie, le sequin vaut environ neuf francs. Ce payement a été fait tout en sequins. Sequin de Gênes, valant environ douze francs …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

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