Lecture Series: History of Jewelry Making

MKD Designs

Lecture Series

History of Jewelry Making

The word "jewelry" is derived from the two millennium year old Latin word "jocale" which means plaything. However, jewelry is a symbolic art that has existed for eons in human culture. The human animal wants to make themselves and their surroundings beautiful and unique. Adornment has had status, sexual, symbolic, ritualistic and mythological (or belief system) significance throughout our history. It doesn't seem to be a trait shared by other primates. However, it is perhaps applicable to some other members of the animals kingdom, if we understand the purpose of their colorful displays and gathering of objects.

Our earliest known evidence of human symbolic art consists of our creation of red and black pigment some 400,000 years ago. It is believed this pigment was used ritualistically for body painting and to paint perishable objects. The oldest artistic object found by archeologists to date is a female figure carved in volcanic rock 250,000 years ago in Israel. A 200,000 year old tooth and bone with bored holes has been found in western Europe and is attributed to the Neanderthals. Human forefathers began wearing artistic objects (jewelry) about 100,000 years ago. Some of the earliest jewelry was made from seashells and worn in pendant fashion. Mollusk shell necklaces dating back 75,000 to 100,000 years were recently found in a cave in South Africa.

History of Jewelry Making

Gemstones & Their Magic

Anthropologists believe that jewelry making became commonplace in human culture 50,000 years ago and may have existed 100,000 years ago or more. We have evidence of Cro-Magnons creating jewelry necklaces and bracelets 40,000 years ago from bone, teeth and stone tied together with animal sinew.

Metallurgy represented an important evolutionary development in jewelry making. The earliest metal jewelry was made from copper 7,000 years ago. Established metal jewelry making began in Egypt 5,000 years ago. The Egyptians made gold and silver jewelry in workshops attached to temples and palaces where they incorporated precious stones or stone mimicking glass into their pieces. The color of stones were important to the Egyptians. Jewelry of various colors was worn to appease the Gods. People of wealth and power in Egypt were buried with jewelry because it was believed that this would help to guarantee that person's position in the afterlife.

The Chinese began making jewelry 5,000 years ago. In early jewelry designs, their favored metal was silver and jade was their favored stone. They revered jade because of its hardness, durability and beauty. Their jewelry was often religious in nature, containing Buddhist symbols. One earring was worn by both men and women. Head dresses, hat buttons and rings were also popular. The dragon was an important symbol. Jewelry was included as grave goods.

Jewelry making in Mesoamerica began about 5,000 years ago. Only Aztec nobility wore gold head dresses which was decorated with feathers. Aztec priests used gem encrusted daggers for sacrifices. The Mayan people (beginning in 200 AD) made jewelry from jade, gold, bronze, silver and copper. Mayan nobility were the only group to wear fine jewelry. The North American Indians used shell, wood, turquoise and soapstone for jewelry making.

Jewelry making in India began about 2100BC and originally consisted of stone bead making. By 1500BC people were creating gold, bead and clay and shell necklaces, earrings and bracelets. India began mining diamonds in 296BC and incorporating them into their jewelry. Indian women predominately wore jewelry. However Indian men wore beads.

Mesopotamian jewelry craft began about 4,000 years ago. They used metal leaf and brightly colored stones in their jewelry. They created sophisticated cloisonné, filigree and jewelry engraving techniques. Both men and women in Mesopotamia wore extensive amounts of jewelry including collars, amulets, multi-strand necklaces, ankle bracelets, pins and cylinder seals (which are engraved picture stories on a rolled cylinder surface).

The Greeks began using gold and gemstones in their jewelry about 1400 BC. The Greeks only wore jewelry for special occasions and jewelry was predominately worn by women. Originally Greek jewelry was patterned from Asian designs and later from the Romans. Most Greek jewelry was made from gold, silver, ivory and gems. Stone cameos were made by the Greeks beginning in the 6th Century BC.

The Romans used a wide array of materials for making jewelry. They used gold, glass, gems, bronze, pearls, fossilized wood, and bone to make clasps, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The Romans made glass cameos beginning in 25 BC, Like the Greeks, jewelry was not worn in abundance. Often the purpose of jewelry for both Greeks and Romans was to ward off the "Evil Eye". However, every Roman man wore at least one finger ring which was used as a seal for documents.

The Celts and the Franks made quality jewelry during the Middle Ages. Their jewelry included clothing fasteners, arm bracelets, signet rings, hair pins and decorations for weapons. Jewelry was included with grave goods. The Celts were known for their continuous designs and patterns on jewelry while the Franks were famous for their stylized animal figure depictions.

The Byzantines took over from the Romans in the Middle Ages and continued the Roman jewelry making methods. Religious themes came to predominate, however. The Byzantines used lighter weight metal materials and placed more emphasis on gemstones in their jewelry. Byzantine men were restricted to wearing signet rings. Jewelry was included with grave goods.

Georgian Period in the 1700s -Georgian jewelry was balanced, regal and elegant. Larger stones were used in jewelry, clusters of gems, and ribbon bow motifs. Simple necklaces. Brooch in cluster buttons and flower heads.

During the Renaissance, Napoleon (late 1700s) revived the style and grandeur of jewelry. He developed the practice of creating suites of matching jewelry sets. Diamonds were used predominately in jewelry making. This period also began the making of costume jewelry.

In the 1800's, the Victorian Period, stud earrings, bar pins, black jewelry, pearl and diamond jewelry were in fashion. During this time, the costume jewelry business also began to flourish. Mourning jewelry (black jewelry created from jet) became popular. Cartier in France & Tiffany in the US began jewelry making and the Faberge Eggs in Russia were created.

The Art Nouveau Jewelry style began in the 1890s. It encompassed creating jewelry with bright colors and sophisticated enameling techniques. Flower, animal and female figure motifs were commonly used. It changed the focus of jewelry making from setting stones to the artistic design of the the piece.

The Edwardian Period (1900-1910) Platinum metal was widely used in jewelry making.
Platinum metal settings including colored gemstones made into jeweled combs, dangle earrings, and large rings with massive settings.

Art Deco jewelry made in the 1920's and 1930s contributed to stylistically simplified forms of jewelry. Plastics and aluminum were introduced in jewelry during this period.

The 1950s saw the advent of separate day and night jewelry. Big bangles, gold hoops, massive rings, jeweled wristwatches.

1960s - originated clustered stone rings and animal enameled bangles. Abstract shape jewelry and smaller gemstones took center stage.

In the 1970s, gold chains, pendant earrings and natural beads were popular.

Modern Jewelry (1980s and beyond) - Today jewelry is made from almost every known material and to adorn almost every body part. Jewelry is also made and worn by some cultures for body modification. The US is the largest jewelry market, followed by Japan, India, China, Middle East and Italy. Earrings are the most popular type of jewelry. Much of the costume jewelry available is mass-produced. However, in the past decade, there has been an enormous increase in the availability of artesian jewelry and components developed for artesian jewelry creation.