| Ornamental jewelry has existed ever since man | | | | and strung them around animal sinew or any kind |
| learnt to be social beings. They were created, as | | | | of string they could find. Clothing was strapped |
| were tools to become inherent part of their lives. | | | | together using carved bones. Slowly, copper |
| The Nassaruis shell bead has aged a hundred | | | | began to be used to make jewelry. That was |
| thousand years and is the oldest jewelry that has | | | | approximately 7,000 years ago. |
| been found. Now imagine how old that is | | | | The Egyptian designs were one of the first to use |
| considering the basic functions that wearing | | | | gold to make jewelry and they did it so well that |
| jewelry serves. | | | | till today, a lot of jewelry is based on Egyptian |
| Jewelry was first used to hold clothes together. | | | | designs. Egypt had no dearth of precious gems |
| They gradually began to move up the ladder | | | | and stones, yet it was colored glass that favored |
| when what you wore reflected what status you | | | | their jewelry. Color held an important place in |
| held in society. Then, there were storage | | | | Egyptian society. Red stood for Isis desiring blood |
| compartments or boxes made to hold coins and | | | | while green was the sign of fertility and |
| all sorts of trinkets. | | | | abundance of crops. They devised methods for |
| Every culture has their own specialty in jewelry, | | | | making colored glass. Most of these workshops |
| precious stones and the kind of metal they | | | | were near or attached to temples or palaces. |
| prefer. In fact, jewelry was used as dowry for | | | | Jewelry had many functions in the world of |
| daughters when they were married off. A lot of | | | | Ancient Greece. They were given as gifts and |
| how the daughter was treated at her in-laws | | | | mostly held religious signs and symbols carved |
| depended on what the dowry contained. | | | | onto them. Greek women wore jewelry when |
| Let us look at the four core ages and civilizations | | | | out in public and during special ceremonies and |
| which was rich in their collection of jewels as well | | | | occasions. Naturally, it said much about social |
| as genius of design: The Cro-Magnon Age, The | | | | status and hierarchy, made the beautiful stunning, |
| Egyptian Civilization, the Ancient Greeks and the | | | | and often suggested that the wearer of certain |
| Romans. | | | | kinds of jewelry possessed magical powers. They |
| The Cro-Magnons were one of the first jewelry | | | | used different kinds of gems like emeralds, rubies, |
| makers. This age dates back 40,000 years and | | | | amethyst, pearls, etc. But they were especially |
| their jewelry items included necklaces and | | | | fond of using metals like bronze, silver and gold. |
| bracelets. They used anything from bones, to | | | | Greek designs are still very much in vogue today. |
| stones, teeth, mother of pearl, mammoth tusks | | | | |