A Brief History of Jewelry

Jewelry is one of the oldest types of archaeological artefacts - beads made from Nassarius shells are thought to be the oldest known jewelry dating back 100,000 years.  Jewelry varies vastly between cultures yet is extremely long-lived persisting since ancient times.

We know that jewelry is made from a wide range of materials including beads, gemstones, precious metals and shells.  Because of jewelry's material properties, patterns, meaningful symbols,  jewelry is understood as a status symbol in most cultures.

A simple necklace made of fish bones dating back 25,000 years was found in a cave in Monaco.  What did this necklace signify? Was it for the chief of the village or a witch doctor? Maybe a princess wore it as a trophy her husband gave her for having a boy child. We might never know the real reason for the making of the gift but we can use our imagination and try to understand the way people thought in those days.

Broad collar of Senebtisi, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12, late–early 13 (ca. 1850–1775 BCE), from Egypt, Memphite Region, Lisht North, Tomb of Senwosret (758), Pit 763, burial of Senebtisi, MMA excavations, 1906–07, faience, gold, carnelian, turquoise, falcon heads and leaf pendants originally gilded plaster, restored in gilded silver, eyes originally gilded beads restored in gilded plaster, outside diameter 9 13/16 inches, max w. 2 15/16 inches (image courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1908)

Source: International Gem Society