History of jewelry

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  • Author Christina Xio
  • Published January 9, 2011
  • Word count 506

Jewelry or more commonly spelt as jewelry in American context is defined as a form of personal adornment, manifesting itself. The common item regarded as jewelry may include necklaces, rings, brooches, earrings and bracelets. Jewelry may be forged or manufactured from almost any material which may provide a shinny or glossy look, usually which cover the categories of gemstones, precious metals or in some historic cases shells are also been used. Factors affecting the choice of materials include the cultural differences which govern the ethical values in a society and second most important concern is the availability of the materials. Jewelry may be appreciated because of its material properties, its patterns or for meaningful symbols. Jewelry differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to look appealing. Items such as belts and handbags are considered to be accessories rather than jewelry.

The word jewelry is derivation from the word jewel, with French origins which was Anglicized from the Old French word "jouel" circa the 13th century. However the honor is not of French further more tracing leads back to the Latin word "jocale", meaning plaything. It might seem comical that the most important and expensive item in today’s world may be regarded as form of play item in early days of invention. Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of body adornment; recently-found 100,000-year-old beads made from Nassarius shells are thought to be the oldest known jewelry.

Jewelry is sometimes but more properly is regarded as a way of storing wealth, it is seemed also a proper medium of securing future resources as gold is a major component of jewelry items and it keeps rising and might also possess some minimal functionality, such as holding a garment together or keeping hair in place. It has from very early times been regarded as a form of personal adornment. The first pieces of jewelry were made from natural materials, such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood and carved stone. Some jewelry throughout the ages may have specifically been as an indication of a social group. More exotic jewelry is often for wealthier people, with its rarity increasing its value. Due to its personal nature and its indication of social class, some cultures established traditions of burying the dead with their jewelry.

Jewelry has been associated with nearly every body part since its invention from the historic times so a person has a choice of wearing accessories, from head to toe hairpins to toe rings and many more types of jewelry. Jewelry is also regarded as a symbol of quality, high-quality jewelry is made with gemstones and precious metals, such as silver or gold, there is also a growing demand for art jewelry where design and creativity is prized above material value. In addition, there is the less costly costume jewelry, made from lower value materials and mass-produced. Other variations include wire sculpture (wrap) jewelry, using anything from base metal wire with rock tumbled stone to precious metals and precious gemstones.

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