Facts about Jewelry
Like other contemporary cultures, jewelry was commonly buried with its owner.
Modern materials were also introduced: plastics and aluminum were first used in jewelry, and of note are the chromed pendants of Russian-born Bauhaus master Naum Slutzky.
Influence from other cultural forms is also evident; one example of this is bling-bling style jewelry, popularized by hip hop and rap artists in the early twenty-first century.
Other examples of jewelry as art can be seen in museum displays, and paintings.
Whereas prior to this the working of gold and precious metal had been at the forefront of jewelry, this period saw increasing dominance of gemstones and their settings.
By the eighth century, jeweled weaponry was common for men, while other jewelry (with the exception of signet rings) seemed to become the domain of women.
Some man-made gems can serve in place of natural gems, an example is the cubic zirconia, often used in place of the diamond in jewelry.
The first pieces of jewelry were made from natural materials, such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood, and carved stone.
The modern jewelry movement began in the late 1940s at the end of World War II with a renewed interest in artistic and leisurely pursuits.
Like the Greeks, often the purpose of Roman jewelry was to ward off the Evil Eye given by other people.
The "jewelry as art" movement, spearheaded by artisans such as Robert Lee Morris and continued by designers such as Anoush Waddington in Great Britain, has kept jewelry on the leading edge of artistic design.
Many extreme-jewelry shops now cater to people wanting large hooks or spikes set into their skin.
Many items of jewelry, such as brooches and buckles originated as purely functional items, but evolved into decorative items as their functional requirement diminished.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the jewelry designs were absorbed by neighboring countries and tribes.
The Romans used a diverse range of materials for their jewelry from their extensive resources across the continent.
The history of jewelry is a long one, with many different uses among different cultures.
Around 7,000 years ago, the first sign of copper jewelry was seen.
The jewelry pieces they made were crude necklaces and bracelets of bone, teeth and stone hung on pieces of string or animal sinew, or pieces of carved bone used to secure clothing together.
The word jewelry is derived from the word jewel, which was Anglicized from the Old French jouel around the thirteenth century and traces back to the Latin word jocale, meaning plaything.
The movement is most noted with works by Georg Jensen and other jewelry designers who advanced the concept of "wearable art."
Modern fine jewelry usually includes gold, white gold, platinum, palladium, or silver.
Beaded jewelry commonly encompasses necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and belts.
A category unique to this period and quite appropriate to the philosophy of romanticism was mourning jewelry.
Jewelry was often made for people of high importance to show their status and, in many cases, they were buried with it.
The period also saw the early stages of costume jewelry, with fish scale covered glass beads in place of pearls or conch shell cameos instead of stone cameos.
When Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned as Emperor of the French in 1804, he revived the style and grandeur of jewelry and fashion in France.
The first signs of jewelry came from the Cro-Magnons, ancestors of Homo sapiens, around 40,000 years ago.
Changing social conditions and the onset of the industrial revolution also led to growth of a middle class that not only wanted, but could afford jewelry.
Some fine examples of artisan jewelry can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
The Renaissance and exploration both had significant impacts on the development of jewelry in Europe.
Bead embroidery, a popular type of handiwork during the Victorian era is enjoying a renaissance in modern jewelry making.
Under Napoleon’s rule, jewelers introduced parures, suites of matching jewelry, such as a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, diamond rings, a diamond brooch and a diamond necklace.
Popular because of its uniqueness, artisan jewelry can be found in just about any price range.
Post-Roman Europe continued to develop jewelry making skills; the Celts and Merovingians in particular are noted for their jewelry, which in terms of quality matched or exceeded that of Byzantium.
Jewelry also Jewelery and Jewellery, is a personal ornament, such as a necklace, ring, or bracelet, made from gemstones, precious metals or other substances.
Tribes related to the Paduang, as well as other cultures throughout the world, use jewelry to stretch their earlobes, or enlarge ear piercings.
Starting in the late eighteenth century, Romanticism had a profound impact on the development of western jewelry.