Gradaši

On the island of Mljet, women often vowed to the Virgin Mary in difficult times of life. In the rush of wars, illness or in the desire to give birth, they gave Our Lady the most valuable thing they had in their possession, and that is gold. Gothic shackles of the Mother of God from the lakefrom the end of the 14th century testifies to the large number of vows that women gave, for which they decorated the Mother of God, among whom were gradaši. Women’s triple earrings gradaši or vrećini, with ballots, were most often worn with traditional clothing. Women especially wanted to stand out when going to the city of Dubrovnik to show their property. Gradaši are crescent-shaped earrings, with a hollow faceted ball at the end. The outer ring is hand-faceted, and the inner part of the earring consists of two parts. One part is straight and the other curved. Due to their decent appearance and wearability, women like to wear gradaši both everyday and for special occasions.