Using the raw materials available, such as wool, linen and hemp, and later incorporating new fabrics such as cotton, Ibizan textiles were usually made on domestic looms, normally after hard days of work.

The oldest dress worn by Ibizan women was the black gonellas, dresses that incorporated several skirts. Others incorporated colour and some discreet prints, and others, more elaborate, white, were reserved for the days of festivities and the festeig, or courtship period when the suitors visited the young woman one by one, in the presence of her mother. It is in this context that one of the great figures of Ibizan popular culture comes into play: the emprendada. With designs dating back to the 18th century, the emprendada is the set of jewellery that the woman displayed, together with her gala dress, as a dowry in front of others and, above all, in front of the families of the suitors.

In order to preserve the unity of the estates, families did not usually leave land in inheritance to their daughters. The former were reserved for the eldest son (s’hereu) and, in order to compensate and prove to be a good match, the daughters were reserved the emprendada, which grew in number of pieces and quality of its elements as the family prospered. In fact, the emprendada served to measure the level of wealth of each family. Once a woman married, the emprendada was used as an ornament of social prestige at festivals, ceremonies and religious events.

The ensemble that forms an emprendada is the result of very fine goldsmithing and jewellery work on precious stones and metals. It is usually made up of various necklaces, chains, crosses, medallions and brooches.

The emprendadas are usually of two types. The oldest was made of silver and red coral, to which protective properties were attributed. The red coral was obtained from the island’s seabed and the silver from the old mines of Sant Carles (s’argentera). It consisted of several strands of coral necklaces in the form of rosaries, intertwined and closed with a silver mesh, from which hung a silver crucifix with filigree motifs, and a joia, which consisted of a stained-glass reliquary containing the image of a virgin, lavishly adorned with precious stones, chains and filigree motifs. Sometimes agustinades, another small set of coral and mother-of-pearl necklaces, were added, attached to the shoulders.

The more modern emprendada incorporated gold laminated with filigree, and basically consists of a necklace of two rows of biconical pieces (the collaret), a cross-shaped pendant – incorporating a rosette in the centre – the joia, several rows of cordoncillo and a pair of decorated rectangular pins.

The emprendada, which was passed down from mother to daughter, was part of a larger set of elaborately worked ornaments, including earrings, sleeve buttons and rings. Earrings were also worn on special occasions and were usually made of gold and fine filigree. The rings (la anellada), on the other hand, were given to the woman after marriage by her husband who, in turn, inherited them from his mother if he was the eldest son (hereu). If this was not the case, the husband had to commission them, at a high financial cost. Tradition demanded that the consort gave his wife up to 24 rings, which could be made of gold or silver. The motifs could be diverse, ranging from the segell (seal) representing the family in question, reserved for the larger, usually square rings, to decorative figures such as flowers or chains with a small heart and a small key, which were usually used for the smaller rings. Usually three rings were placed on each finger, with the exception of the thumb. All of them displaying very elaborate finishes made by expert goldsmiths.

The tradition of master jewellers continues with a small but select group of craftsmen working to ensure that this cultural heritage continues to shine brightly.