8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 1/17

History

The history of jewellery is a long one, with many different uses among different cultures.

It has endured for thousands of years and has provided various insights into how ancientcultures worked.

[edit] Early history

The Nassarius beads thought to be the oldest form of jewellery.

The first signs of jewellery came from the Cro-Magnons, ancestors of Homo sapiens, around 40,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons originally migrated from the Middle East to

settle in Europe and replace the Neanderthals as the dominant species. The jewellery

pieces they made were crude necklaces and bracelets of bone, teeth and stone hung onpieces of string or animal sinew, or pieces of carved bone used to secure clothing

together. In some cases, jewellery had shell or  mother-of-pearl pieces. In southern Russia,

carved bracelets made of  mammoth tusk  have been found. Most commonly, these havebeen found as grave-goods. Around 7,000 years ago, the first sign of copper jewellery

was seen.[4]

[edit] Egypt

Amulet pendant (254 BCE) made from gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian, 14 cm

wide.

The first signs of established jewellery making in Ancient Egypt was around 3,000-5,000years ago.[16] The Egyptians preferred the luxury, rarity, and workability of  gold over 

other metals. Predynastic Egypt had Jewellery in Egypt soon began to symbolize power 

and religious power in the community. Although it was worn by wealthy Egyptians inlife, it was also worn by them in death, with jewellery commonly placed among grave

goods.

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 2/17

In conjunction with gold jewellery, Egyptians used coloured glass in place of precious

gems. Although the Egyptians had access to gemstones, they preferred the colours they

could create in glass over the natural colours of stones. For nearly each gemstone, therewas a glass formulation used by the Egyptians to mimic it. The colour of the jewellery

was very important, as different colours meant different things; the Book of the Dead  

dictated that the necklace of  Isis around a mummy’s neck must be red to satisfy Isis’sneed for blood, while green jewellery meant new growth for crops and fertility. Although

lapis lazuli and silver had to be imported from beyond the country’s borders, most other 

materials for jewellery were found in or near Egypt, for example in the Red Sea, wherethe Egyptians mined Cleopatra's favourite gem, the emerald. Egyptian jewellery was

predominantly made in large workshops attached to temples or palaces.

Egyptian designs were most common in Phoenician jewellery. Also, ancient Turkish 

designs found in Persian jewellery suggest that trade between the Middle East andEurope was not uncommon. Women wore elaborate gold and silver pieces that were used

in ceremonies.[16]

[edit] Europe and the Middle East

[edit] Mesopotamia

By approximately 4,000 years ago, jewellery-making had become a significant craft in

the cities of Sumer and Akkad. The most significant archaeological evidence comes fromthe Royal Cemetery of Ur , where hundreds of burials dating 2900–2300 BC were

unearthed; tombs such as that of Puabi contained a multitude of artefacts in gold, silver,

and semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli crowns embellished with gold figurines,close-fitting collar necklaces, and jewel-headed pins. In Assyria, men and women both

wore extensive amounts of jewellery, including amulets, ankle bracelets, heavy multi-strand necklaces, and cylinder seals.[17]

Jewellery in Mesopotamia tended to be manufactured from thin metal leaf and was setwith large numbers of brightly-coloured stones (chiefly agate, lapis, carnelian, and

jasper). Favoured shapes included leaves, spirals, cones, and bunches of grapes. Jewellers

created works both for human use and for adorning statues and idols; they employed a

wide variety of sophisticated metalworking techniques, such as cloisonne, engraving, finegranulation, and filigree.[18]

Extensive and meticulously maintained records pertaining to the trade and manufacture

of jewellery have also been unearthed throughout Mesopotamian archaeological sites.One record in the Mari royal archives, for example, gives the composition of various

items of jewellery:

1 necklace of flat speckled chalcedony beads including: 34 flat speckled chalcedony bead, [and]

35 gold fluted beads, in groups of five.

1 necklace of flat speckled chalcedony beads including: 39 flat speckled chalcedony beads, [with]

41 fluted beads in a group that make up the hanging device.

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 3/17

1 necklace with rounded lapis lazuli beads including: 28 rounded lapis lazuli beads, [and] 29

fluted beads for its clasp.[19]

[edit] Greece

Gold earring from Mycenae, 16th century BCE.

The Greeks started using gold and gems in jewellery in 1,400 BC, although beads shapedas shells and animals were produced widely in earlier times. By 300 BC, the Greeks had

mastered making coloured jewellery and using amethysts, pearl and emeralds. Also, the

first signs of cameos appeared, with the Greeks creating them from Indian Sardonyx, astriped brown pink and cream agate stone. Greek jewellery was often simpler than in

other cultures, with simple designs and workmanship. However, as time progressed the

designs grew in complexity different materials were soon utilized.

Pendant with naked woman, made from electrum, Rhodes, around 630-620 BCE.

Jewellery in Greece was hardly worn and was mostly used for public appearances or on

special occasions. It was frequently given as a gift and was predominantly worn by

women to show their wealth, social status and beauty. The jewellery was often supposedto give the wearer protection from the “Evil Eye” or endowed the owner with

supernatural powers, while others had a religious symbolism. Older pieces of jewellery

that have been found were dedicated to the Gods. The largest production of jewellery in

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 4/17

these times came from Northern Greece and Macedon. However, although much of the

jewellery in Greece was made of  gold and silver with ivory and gems, bronze and clay 

copies were made also.

Ancient Greek jewellery from 300 BCE.

They worked two styles of pieces; cast pieces and pieces hammered out of sheet metal.

Fewer pieces of cast jewellery have been recovered; it was made by casting the metalonto two stone or clay moulds. Then the two halves were joined together and wax and

then molten metal, was placed in the centre. This technique had been practised since the

late Bronze Age. The more common form of jewellery was the hammered sheet type.Sheets of metal would be hammered to thickness and then soldered together. The inside

of the two sheets would be filled with wax or another liquid to preserve the metal work.

Different techniques, such as using a stamp or engraving, were then used to create motifson the jewellery. Jewels may then be added to hollows or glass poured into special

cavities on the surface. The Greeks took much of their designs from outer origins, such as

Asia when Alexander the Great conquered part of it. In earlier designs, other Europeaninfluences can also be detected. When Roman rule came to Greece, no change in

jewellery designs was detected. However, by 27 BC, Greek designs were heavilyinfluenced by the Roman culture. That is not to say that indigenous design did not thrive;

numerous polychrome butterfly pendants on silver foxtail chains, dating from the 1stcentury, have been found near Olbia, with only one example ever found anywhere else.[20]

[edit] Rome

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 5/17

Roman Amethyst intaglio pendant, c. 212 CE; later converted to St. Peter medallion.

Although jewellery work was abundantly diverse in earlier times, especially among thebarbarian tribes such as the Celts, when the Romans conquered most of Europe, jewellerywas changed as smaller factions developed the Roman designs. The most common

artefact of early Rome was the brooch, which was used to secure clothing together. The

Romans used a diverse range of materials for their jewellery from their extensiveresources across the continent. Although they used gold, they sometimes used bronze or 

bone and in earlier times, glass beads & pearl. As early as 2,000 years ago, they imported

Sri Lankan sapphires and Indian diamonds and used emeralds and amber in their jewellery. In Roman-ruled England, fossilized wood called jet from Northern England

was often carved into pieces of jewellery. The early Italians worked in crude gold and

created clasps, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. They also produced larger pendants 

which could be filled with perfume.

Like the Greeks, often the purpose of Roman jewellery was to ward off the “Evil Eye”

given by other people. Although women wore a vast array of jewellery, men often only

wore a finger ring. Although they were expected to wear at least one ring, some Romanmen wore a ring on every finger, while others wore none. Roman men and women wore

rings with a carved stone on it that was used with wax to seal documents, an act that

continued into medieval times when kings and noblemen used the same method. After the

fall of the Roman Empire, the jewellery designs were absorbed by neighbouring countriesand tribes.[16]

[edit] Middle Ages

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 6/17

Merovingian fibulae, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

6th century bronze eagle-shaped Visigothic cloisonné fibula from Guadalajara, Spain.

Post-Roman Europe continued to develop jewellery making skills; the Celts and

Merovingians in particular are noted for their jewellery, which in terms of quality

matched or exceeded that of Byzantium. Clothing fasteners, amulets, and to a lesser extent signet rings are the most common artefacts known to us; a particularly striking

celtic example is the Tara Brooch. The Torc was common throughout Europe as a symbol

of status and power. By the 8th century, jewelled weaponry was common for men, whileother jewellery (with the exception of signet rings) seems to become the domain of 

women. Grave goods found in a 6th-7th century burial near Chalon-sur-Saône are

illustrative; the young girl was buried with: 2 silver  fibulae, a necklace (with coins),bracelet, gold earings, a pair of hair-pins, comb, and buckle.[21] The Celts specialized in

continuous patterns and designs; while Merovingian designs are best known for stylized

animal figures.[22] They were not the only groups known for high quality work; note the

Visigoth work shown here, and the numerous decorative objects found at the Anglo-Saxon Ship burial at Sutton Hoo Suffolk , England, are a particularly well-known

example.[16] On the continent, cloisonné and garnet were perhaps the quintessential

method and gemstone of the period.

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 7/17

Byzantine wedding ring.

The Eastern successor of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, continued many of 

the methods of the Romans, though religious themes came to predominate. Unlike the

Romans, the Franks, and the Celts, however; Byzantium used light-weight gold leaf rather than solid gold, and more emphasis was placed on stones and gems. As in the

West, Byzantine jewellery was worn by wealthier females, with male jewellery

apparently restricted to signet rings. Like other contemporary cultures, jewellery was

commonly buried with its owner.[23]

[edit] Renaissance

Sardonyx cameo.

The Renaissance and exploration both had significant impacts on the development of jewellery in Europe. By the 17th century, increasing exploration and trade lead toincreased availability of a wide variety of gemstones as well as exposure to the art of 

other cultures. Whereas prior to this the working of gold and precious metal had been at

the forefront of jewellery, this period saw increasing dominance of gemstones and their 

settings. A fascinating example of this is the Cheapside Hoard, the stock of a jeweller hidden in London England during the Commonwealth period and not found again until

1912. It contained Colombian emerald, topaz, amazonite from Brazil, spinel, iolite, and

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 8/17

chrysoberyl from Sri Lanka, ruby from India, Afghani lapis lazuli, Persian turquoise, Red

Sea peridot, as well as Bohemian and Hungarian opal, garnet, and amethyst. Large stones

were frequently set in box-bezels on enamelled rings.[24] Notable among merchants of theperiod was Jean-Baptiste Tavernier , who in the 1660s brought the precursor stone of the

Hope Diamond to France.

When Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned as Emperor of the French in 1804, he revived

the style and grandeur of jewellery and fashion in France. Under Napoleon’s rule,jewellers introduced parures, suites of matching jewellery, such as a diamond tiara, 

diamond earrings, diamond rings, a diamond brooch and a diamond necklace. Both of 

Napoleon’s wives had beautiful sets such as these and wore them regularly. Another fashion trend resurrected by Napoleon was the cameo. Soon after his cameo decorated

crown was seen, cameos were highly sought after. The period also saw the early stages of 

costume jewellery, with fish scale covered glass beads in place of pearls or  conch shellcameos instead of stone cameos. New terms were coined to differentiate the arts:

jewellers who worked in cheaper materials were called bijoutiers, while jewellers who

worked with expensive materials were called joailliers; a practice which continues to thisday.

[edit] Romanticism

Mourning jewellery in the form of a jet brooch, 19th century.

Starting in the late 18th century, Romanticism had a profound impact on the developmentof western jewellery. Perhaps the most significant influences were the public’s

fascination with the treasures being discovered through the birth of modern archaeology,

and the fascination with Medieval and Renaissance art. Changing social conditions and

the onset of the industrial revolution also lead to growth of a middle class that wanted andcould afford jewellery. As a result, the use of industrial processes, cheaper alloys, and

stone substitutes, lead to the development of paste or  costume jewellery. Distinguished

goldsmiths continued to flourish, however, as wealthier patrons sought to ensure that

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 9/17

what they wore still stood apart from the jewellery of the masses, not only through use of 

precious metals and stones but also though superior artistic and technical work; one such

artist was the French goldsmith Françoise Désire Fromment Meurice. A category uniqueto this period and quite appropriate to the philosophy of romanticism was mourning

jewellery. It originated in England, where Queen Victoria was often seen wearing jet

jewellery after the death of Prince Albert; and allowed the wearer to continue wearingjewellery while expressing a state of mourning at the death of a loved one.[25]

In the United states, this period saw the founding in 1837 of Tiffany & Co. by Charles

Lewis Tiffany. Tiffany's put the United States on the world map in terms of jewellery,

and gained fame creating dazzling commissions for people such as the wife of AbrahamLincoln; later it would gain popular notoriety as the setting of the film Breakfast at

Tiffany's. In France, Pierre Cartier founded Cartier SA in 1847, while 1884 saw the

founding of Bulgari in Italy. The modern production studio had been born; a step awayfrom the former dominance of individual craftsmen and patronage.

This period also saw the first major collaboration between East and West; collaborationin Pforzheim between German and Japanese artists lead to Shakudo plaques set into

Filigree frames being created by the Stoeffler firm in 1885).[26] Perhaps the grand finalé – and an appropriate transition to the following period – were the masterful creations of the

Russian artist Peter Carl Fabergé, working for the Imperial Russian court, whose Fabergé

eggs and jewellery pieces are still considered as the epitome of the goldsmith’s art.

[edit] Art Nouveau

In the 1890s, jewellers began to explore the potential of the growing Art Nouveau style.Very closely related were the German Jugendstil, British (and to some extent American)

Arts and Crafts movement. Art Nouveau jewellery encompassed many distinct featuresincluding a focus on the female form and an emphasis on colour, most commonlyrendered through the use of enamelling techniques including basse-taille, champleve,

cloisonné and plique a jour. Motifs included orchids, irises, pansies, vines, swans,

peacocks, snakes, dragonflies, mythological creatures and the female silhouette. ReneLalique, working for the Paris shop of Samuel Bing, was recognized by contemporaries

as a leading figure in this trend. The Darmstadt Artists' Colony and Wiener Werkstaette 

provided perhaps the most significant German input to the trend, while in Denmark Georg Jensen, though best known for his Silverware, also contributed significant pieces.

In England, Liberty & Co and the British arts & crafts movement of Charles Robert

Ashbee contributed slightly more linear but still characteristic designs. The new style

moved the focus of the jeweller's art from the setting of stones to the artistic design of thepiece itself; Lalique's dragonfly design is one of the best examples of this. Enamels 

played a large role in technique, while sinuous organic lines are the most recognizable

design feature. The end of World War One once again changed public attitudes; and amore sober style came in.[27]

[edit] Art Deco

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 10/17

Growing political tensions, the after-effects of the war, and a reaction against the

perceived decadence of the turn of the century led to simpler forms, combined with more

effective manufacturing for mass production of high-quality jewellery. Covering theperiod of the 1920s and 1930s, the style has become popularly known as Art Deco.

Walter Gropius and the German Bauhaus movement, with their philosophy of "no

barriers between artists and craftsmen" lead to some interesting and stylisticallysimplified forms. Modern materials were also introduced: plastics and aluminum were

first used in jewellery, and of note are the chromed pendants of Russian born Bauhaus

master Naum Slutzky. Technical mastery became as valued as the material itself; in thewest, this period saw the reinvention of granulation by the German Elizabeth Treskow

(although development of the re-invention has continued into the 1990s).

[edit] Jewish jewellery

In the Jewish culture jewellery have played an important role since biblical times. There

are references in the bible to the custom of wearing jewellery both as a decoration and as

a symbol. Now, Jewish jewellery is worn to show affiliation with the religion, and astalismans and amulets.

The Star of David ("Magen David" in Hebrew) is the symbol most recognized with

Judaism. It was used in Israel in Roman times, but it seems to have become associatedwith Judaism in particular only in later centuries. In the 17th century it became a practice

to put the Star of David on the outside of synagogues, to identify them as Jewish houses

of worship; however, it is not clear why this symbol was selected for this. Today the Star of David is a universally recognized symbol of Jews. It appears on the flag of the state of 

Israel, and the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross is known as "the Magen David Adom"

("Adom" is red in Hebrew). One of the most common symbols in Jewish jewellery is the

Star of David, equivalent to wearing a cross by Christians.

Another popular symbol used in Jewish jewellery is the Hamsa, also known as the

"Hamesh hand". The Hamsa appears often in a stylized form, as a hand with three fingers

raised, and sometimes with two thumbs arranged symmetrically. Its five fingers are saidto symbolize the five books if the Torah. The symbol is used for protection and as a mean

to ward of the Evil eye in amulets and charms and can also be found in various places

such as home entrances and cars. It is also common to place other symbols in the middleof the Hamsa that are believed to help against the evil eye such as fish, eyes and the Star 

of David. The colour blue, or more specifically light blue, is also considered protective

against the evil eye and many Hamsas are in that colour or with embedded gemstones in

different shades of blue. Hamsas are often decorated with Jewish prayers of a protectivefashion such as the Sh'ma Prayer, the Birkat HaBayit (Blessing for the Home), or the

Tefilat HaDerech (Traveler's Prayer).

The Chai symbol, popularly worn on necklaces, is the Hebrew word "Chai" (means

'living'), consisting of the two Hebrew letters Chet and Yod. This word refers to God.According to the gematrian system, the letters of Chai add up to 18. There have been

many mystical numerological speculations about this fact and the custom to give

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 11/17

donations and monetary gifts in multiples of 18 as a blessing for long life is very common

in Jewish circles.

Other motives found in Jewish jewellery are symbols from the Kabbalah (also known askabala, cabala) such as the Merkaba, a three-dimensional Star of David, and the Tree of 

life. Pieces of jewellery are decorated with parts or initials of known Jewish prayers andwith 3-letters combinations, believed to represent different names of the Jewish God.

[edit] Asia

Jewellery making in Asia started in China 5,000 years ago and in the Indus Valley region

later on.

[edit] China

The earliest culture to begin making jewellery in Asia was the Chinese around 5,000

years ago. Chinese jewellery designs were very religion-orientated and containedBuddhist symbols, a fact which remains to this day.

Jade coiled serpent, Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD)

The Chinese used silver in their jewellery more often than gold, and decorated it with

their favourite colour, blue. Blue kingfisher  feathers were tied onto early Chinese

jewellery and later, blue gems and glass were incorporated into designs. However,Chinese preferred jade over any other stone. They fashioned it using diamonds. The

Chinese revered jade because of the human-like qualities they assigned to it, such as its

hardness, durability and beauty.[4] The first jade pieces were very simple, but as time

progressed, more complex designs evolved. Jade rings from between the 4th and 7thcenturies BCE show evidence of having been worked with a compound milling machine;

hundreds of years before the first mention of such equipment in the west.[28]

In China, jewellery was worn frequently by both sexes to show their nobility and wealth.However, in later years, it was used to accentuate beauty. Women wore highly detailed

gold and silver head dresses and other items, while men wore decorative hat buttons

which showed rank and gold or silver rings. Woman also wore strips of gold on their 

foreheads, much like women in the Indus Valley. The band was an early form of  tiara andwas often decorated with precious gems. The most common piece of jewellery worn by

Chinese was the earring, which was worn by both men and women. Amulets were also

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 12/17

common too, often with a Chinese symbol or dragon. In fact, dragons, Chinese symbols

and also phoenixes were frequently depicted on jewellery designs.

The Chinese often placed their jewellery in their graves; most Chinese graves found byarchaeologists contain decorative jewellery.[29]

[edit] India

The Indian subcontinent has the longest continuous legacy of jewellery making

anywhere. While Western traditions were heavily influenced by waxing and waning

empires, India enjoyed a continuous development of art forms for some 5000 years.[30]

One of the first to start jewellery making were the peoples of the Indus Valley

Civilization. By 1,500 BC the peoples of the Indus Valley were creating gold earrings

and necklaces, bead necklaces and metallic bangles. Before 2,100 BC, prior to the periodwhen metals were widely used, the largest jewellery trade in the Indus Valley region was

the bead trade. Beads in the Indus Valley were made using simple techniques. First, a

bead maker would need a rough stone, which would be bought from an eastern stonetrader. The stone would then be placed into a hot oven where it would be heated until it

turned deep red, a colour highly prized by people of the Indus Valley. The red stone

would then be chipped to the right size and a hole drilled through it with primitive drills.

The beads were then polished. Some beads were also painted with designs. This art formwas often passed down through family; children of bead makers often learnt how to work 

beads from a young age.

Jewellery in the Indus Valley was worn predominantly by females, who wore numerous

clay or shell bracelets on their wrists. They were often shaped like doughnuts and paintedblack. Over time, clay bangles were discarded for more durable ones. In India today,

bangles are made out of  metal or glass. Other pieces that women frequently wore werethin bands of gold that would be worn on the forehead, earrings, primitive brooches,chokers and gold rings. Although women wore jewellery the most, some men in the Indus

Valley wore beads. Small beads were often crafted to be placed in men and women’s

hair. The beads were about one millimetre long.

A female skeleton (presently on display at the National Museum, New Delhi, India)wears a carlinean bangle ( a bracelet) on her left hand.

India was the first country to mine diamonds, with some mines dating back to 296 BC.

India traded the diamonds, realising their valuable qualities. This trade almost vanished

1,000 years after Christianity grew as a religion, as Christians rejected the diamondswhich were used in Indian religious amulets. Along with Arabians from the Middle East 

restricting the trade, India’s diamond jewellery trade lulled.

Today, many of the jewellery designs and traditions are still used and jewellery iscommonplace in Indian ceremonies and weddings.[29]

[edit] Americas

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 13/17

Jewellery played a major role in the fate of the Americas when the Spanish established an

empire to seize South American gold. Jewellery making developed in the Americas 5,000

years ago in Central and South America. Large amounts of gold was easily accessible,and the Aztecs and Mayans created numerous works in the metal. Among the Aztecs, 

only nobility wore gold jewellery, as it showed their rank, power and wealth. Gold

jewellery was most common in the Aztec Empire and was often decorated with  feathers from birds. The main purpose of Aztec jewellery was to draw attention, with richer and

more powerful Aztecs wearing brighter, more expensive jewellery and clothes. Although

gold was the most common and popular material used in Aztec jewellery, silver was alsoreadily available throughout the American empires. In addition to adornment and status,

the Aztecs also used jewellery in sacrifices to appease the gods. Priests also used gem

encrusted daggers to perform animal and human sacrifices.[16][25]

Another ancient American civilization with expertise in jewellery making was the Maya.At the peak of their civilization, the Maya were making jewellery from jade, gold, silver,

bronze and copper . Maya designs were similar to those of the Aztecs, with lavish head

dresses and jewellery. The Maya also traded in precious gems. However, in earlier times,the Maya had little access to metal, so made the majority of their jewellery out of bone or stone. Merchants and nobility were the only few that wore expensive jewellery in the

Maya Empire, much the same as with the Aztecs.[29]

In North America, Native Americans used shells, wood, turquoise, and soapstone, almostunavailable in South and Central America. The turquoise was used in necklaces and to be

placed in earrings. Native Americans with access to oyster shells, often located in only

one location in America, traded the shells with other tribes, showing the great importance

of the body adornment trade in Northern America.[31]

[edit] Pacific

Main article: Jewellery in the Pacific

Jewellery making in the Pacific started later than in other areas because of recent human

settlement. Early Pacific jewellery was made of bone, wood and other natural materials,

and thus has not survived. Most Pacific jewellery is worn above the waist, with

headdresses, necklaces, hair pins and arm and waist belts being the most common pieces.

Jewellery in the Pacific, with the exception of Australia, is worn to be a symbol of either 

fertility or power. Elaborate headdresses are worn by many Pacific cultures and some,

such as the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, wear certain headresses once they havekilled an enemy. Tribesman may wear boar bones through their noses.

Island jewellery is still very much primal because of the lack of communication with

outside cultures; some areas of Borneo and Papua New Guinea are yet to be explored by

Western nations. However, the island nations which were flooded with Westernmissionaries have had drastic changes made to their jewellery designs. Missionaries saw

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 14/17

any type of tribal jewellery as a sign of the wearer's devotion to paganism. Thus many

tribal designs were lost forever in the mass conversion to Christianity.[32]

A modern opal bracelet

Australia is now the number one supplier of opals in the world. Opals had already beenmined in Europe and South America for many years prior, but in the late 1800s, the

Australian opal market became predominant. Australian opals are only mined in a few

select places around the country, making it one the most profitable stones in the Pacific.[33]

One of the few cultures to today still create their jewellery as they did many centuries

prior is the New Zealand Māori, who create Hei-tiki. The reason the hei-tiki is worn is

not apparent; it may either relate to ancestral connections, as Tiki was the first Māori, or fertility, as there is a strong connection between this and Tiki. Another suggestion from

historians is that the Tiki is a product of the ancient belief of a god named Tiki, perhaps

dating back to before the Māoris settled in New Zealand. Hei-tikis are traditionallycarved by hand from bone (commonly whale), nephrite or bowenite; a lengthy and

spiritual process. The Hei-tiki is now popular amongst tourists who can buy it from

souvenir or jeweller shops.

Other than jewellery created through Māori influence, jewellery in New Zealand remainssimilar to other western civilizations; multi cultural and varied. This is more noticeable in

New Zealand because of its high levels of non-European citizens.[32]

[edit] Modern

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 15/17

Reversible pendant mimics the constellations representing a star map of the zodiac signs.

The modern jewellery movement began in the late 1940s at the end of World War II with

a renewed interest in artistic and leisurely pursuits. The movement is most noted with

works by Georg Jensen and other jewellery designers who advanced the concept of wearable art. The advent of new materials, such as plastics, Precious Metal Clay (PMC)

and colouring techniques, has led to increased variety in styles. Other advances, such as

the development of improved pearl harvesting by people such as Kokichi Mikimoto andthe development of improved quality artificial gemstones such as moissanite (a diamond

simulant), has placed jewellery within the economic grasp of a much larger segment of 

the population.

The "jewellery as art" movement was spearheaded by artisans such as Robert Lee Morrisand continued by designers such as Anoush Waddington in the UK. Influence from other 

cultural forms is also evident; one example of this is bling-bling style jewellery,

popularized by hip-hop and rap artists in the early 21st century.

The late 20th century saw the blending of European design with oriental techniques suchas Mokume-gane. The following are innovations in the decades stradling the year 2000:

"Mokume-gane, hydraulic die forming, anti-clastic raising, fold-forming, reactive metal

anodizing, shell forms, PMC, photoetching, and [use of] CAD/CAM."[34]

Artisan jewellery continues to grow as both a hobby and a profession. With more than 17United States periodicals about beading alone, resources, accessibility and a low initial

cost of entry continues to expand production of hand-made adornments. Some fine

examples of artisan jewellery can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum.[35]

[edit] Body modification

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 16/17

Young girl from the Padaung tribe.

Jewellery used in body modification is usually plain; the use of simple silver studs, ringsand earrings predominates. Common jewellery pieces such as earrings, are themselves a

form of body modification, as they are accommodated by creating a small hole in the ear.

Padaung women in Myanmar place large golden rings around their necks. From as early

as 5 years old, girls are introduced to their first neck ring. Over the years, more rings are

added. In addition to the twenty-plus pounds of rings on her neck, a woman will alsowear just as many rings on her calves too. At their extent, some necks modified like this

can reach 10-15 inches long; the practice has obvious health impacts, however, and has in

recent years declined from cultural norm to tourist curiosity.[36] Tribes related to the

Paduang, as well as other cultures throughout the world, use jewellery to stretch their 

earlobes, or enlarge ear piercings. In the Americas, labrets have been worn since beforefirst contact by Innu and first nations peoples of the northwest coast.[37] Lip plates are

worn by the African Mursi and Sara people, as well as some South American peoples.

In the late 20th century, the influence of  modern primitivism led to many of thesepractices being incorporated into western subcultures. Many of these practices rely on a

combination of body modification and decorative objects; thus keeping the distinction

between these two types of decoration blurred.

In many cultures, jewellery is used as a temporary body modifier, with in some cases,

hooks or even objects as large as bike bars being placed into the recipient's skin.

Although this procedure is often carried out by tribal or semi-tribal groups, often actingunder a trance during religious ceremonies, this practise has seeped into western culture.Many extreme-jewellery shops now cater to people wanting large hooks or spikes set into

their skin. Most often, these hooks are used in conjunction with pulleys to hoist the

recipient into the air. This practise is said to give an erotic feeling to the person and somecouples have even performed their marriage ceremony whilst being suspended by hooks.[36]

8/7/2019 History of jewellary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/history-of-jewellary 17/17

[edit] Jewellery market

According to a recent KPMG study[38] the largest jewellery market is the United States

with a market share of 30.8%, Japan, India and China and the Middle East each with 8 -9% and finally Italy with 5%. The authors of the study predict a dramatic change in

market shares by 2015, where the market share of the United States will have dropped toaround 25%, and China and India will increase theirs to over 13%. The Middle East willremain more or less constant at 9%, whereas Europe's and Japan's marketshare will be

halved and become less than 4% for Japan, and less than 3% for the biggest individual

European countries: Italy and the UK.