From the subtle to outlandish, from metaphysical to decorative reasons: jewellery has been worn for thousands of years.
Why do we wear jewellery? Throughout history, jewellery has been worn for a multitude of reasons including: to display wealth or one’s status, for functional reasons like pins or clasps, for protection (i.e. amulets, talisman and breastplates), artistic display and of course for personal adornment.
Up until the last decade, jewellery was thought to have begun on a practical level, being used as an investment or as a talisman. However, a recent discovery of ancient beads fashioned from Nassarius shells dating back almost 100,000 years have disputed this and are thought to be the oldest known jewellery found to be used purely for decoration.
Another discovery of ancient jewellery was made at the Skhul Caves, on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Israel. Items recovered from here are believed to date back approximately 90,000 years and this is further confirmation that jewellery played an important role in the life of ancient humans. However, it is not known whether the use of jewellery in this instance was to decorate the body or used to demonstrate status.
The first materials used for jewellery consisted of wood, bone, animal teeth and shells. As time progressed, people of high importance wore jewellery to show their status and wealth. It became commonplace to be buried either wearing or alongside your personal jewellery. The Egyptians believed it would both aid your transit to the next life and be used as a currency.
As beliefs have changed over the last few centuries, it is likely that very few of us will want to be buried with our jewellery, meaning that our precious gold and silver jewellery, set with gorgeous, rare gemstones, can be passed on to future generations.
Even if our great grandchildren don’t appreciate the designs of our time, they will have the option of melting down our jewellery, having it reshaped into the fashion of their time, all the while still carrying around with them a little bit of our heritage! And who knows what the price of gold will be worth to them; maybe the planet’s gold supply will be exhausted by then, or the supply of the gemstone that was once found in many places, has completely dried up (it wouldn’t be the first time that a gem variety became extinct).
In these early years of the 21st Century, it is fair to say that people are not afraid to wear bold, creative and innovative jewellery. Instead of wearing flamboyant shoes, or an expensive handbag, many people prefer to wear a piece of jewellery as the focal point of an outfit, such as a bright Pink Sapphire cocktail ring or a pair of Tanzanite cufflinks.
The type of jewellery worn can say a lot about that person’s personality. Someone wearing a 7 strand necklace, adorned with multi-coloured gemstones will obviously have a lot of confidence to wear such a show stopping piece.
When you wear genuine gemstone jewellery, you not only feel beautiful but also feel a real connection with nature. After all, every single gemstone is a treasure given to us by Mother Nature. Each piece is rare and individual and deserves showing off. My wife once told me she feels naked if she leaves the house without any real jewellery on and that when she does forget, her outlook for the day never quite seems to be as positive.
