| History of Jewelry |
| Written by Stephanie Mariani | |
Here's the first in our series on the History of Jewelry. Stephanie Mariana takes us back in time as we visit the Romans, Egyptians and Grecians - ooh laa laa!
As a child, I remember putting on my mum's necklaces, earrings and rings and pretending I was some very important rich lady with business to attend. I'd walk around the house in her heels and wearing one of her dresses. I loved dressing up – especially with some form of jewelry. So now with jewelry on my mind, I started thinking, where did it evolve? This week, AskBronny takes a look at the history of jewelry. Adorning the body with jewelry has existed since the dawn of time. Way back in the Stone Age, people were using the bare essentials to create jewelry; much of it being made from animal teeth, shells, stones and wood. People used jewelry to help keep items of clothing together and later on, jewelry became a decoration. As well as being an adornment, jewelry was also used as a warder of evil, protection from harm and verification of one's status in society. Ancient civilizations like Egyptian, Greek and Roman developed jewelry and used it as part of their every day lives. Ancient Egypt The ancient Egyptians are remembered for their elegance and affluence and, especially for their jewelry. The Egyptians loved gold and they used this metal profusely. They used jewelry as protection from evil and as symbols of their wealth. Jewelry was also worn in death, as the Egyptians were believers in the afterlife. Egyptians were able to obtain various gemstones but were reluctant to use them. Instead, they preferred to mimic the jewels by creating a glass copies. Coloured jewelry was important to the Egyptians. Green coloured jewelry symbolized fertility and growth of crops. Cleopatra’s favourite gem was the emerald. Ancient Greece Much of the jewelry coming from the early ancient Greeks consisted of beads shaped like shells and animals. Later on, they discovered gold and gems and began using them. Then, the discovery of coloured gems like amethyst, pearls and emeralds enables them to expand their jewelry line. Greeks liked pendant earrings that were decorated with doves or the gods, Eros or Nike. Necklaces either had dangling fruits or animal heads. Chains were thick and round. The Greeks very much emulated the gods and gold wreaths were worn as headdresses and were often decorated with flowers , foliage and acorns. After the conquest of Alexander the Great, new jewelry was introduced and gold became extremely popular as the Greeks increased their contacts with the Egyptians. Ancient Rome The ancient Romans were lucky to have access to many materials to make jewelry due to their accessibility to both the Mediterranean and European continents. The brooch was popular in early Rome and this was used to hold clothes together. Gold was also used by the Romans as wells as glass beads and pearls. The Ancient Romans were influenced by both the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians and created their own unique jewels. The Romans developed hoop earrings and their bracelets were fashioned as coiling snakes. The women wore more jewelry than the men who usually just wore a ring. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used jewelry as not only adornments, but also as warders of evil and to specify wealth amongst society. They were fond of precious gems and gold which is still used today. Keep reading for more about jewelry on Ask Bronny in our series on the History of Jewellery! |
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