The first primitive items made to decorate the human body were found in Africa, where the earliest Homo sapiens settled. A necklace, more than 75,000 years old, was made of snail shells. Beads, 45,000 years old, were made of ostrich eggshells. Some later jewelry pieces, such as beads and bracelets of stones, shells, bones, teeth, and animal leather, were discovered at the Cro-Magnon settlements in Europe.
Egypt. The very first pieces of jewelry were found in Egypt and date from 3,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. Egyptians so appreciated the splendor and glitter of gold that the metal was proclaimed sacred and used to symbolize Ra, the god of Sun. Instead of precious stones, Egyptians decorated jewelry with colored glass. They preferred this look to the appearance of natural minerals. Egyptians were skilled like no one else in producing colored glass and creating beautiful imitations of nearly any mineral. Every color had a symbolic meaning. Egyptians were incredibly precise and pious when making jewelry and especially when creating ritual decorations.
Mesopotamia. About 4000 years ago, the two Mesopotamian civilizations of Akkad and Sumer were not only familiar with jewelry making, but they also were quite skilled at it. The most significant and masterful findings are dated 2,900-2,300 B.C.; these were gold and silver items encrusted with lapis lazuli and various semi-precious stones. As a rule, Mesopotamian jewelry was made of thin plates of precious metal and lavishly decorated with colorful stones.
Greece. The dawn of jewelry making in Greece occurred in the 14th century B.C., when Greeks learned to cast gold and to encrust golden items with gems. Prior to that, their jewelry was rather primitive. At the beginning of the 3rd century B.C., Greeks began producing fine jewelry decorated with agate, pearls, emeralds, and amethyst.
There were two main types of Greek jewelry – objects used to decorate the body and religious objects used for rituals and ceremonies. Generally, Greeks were reserved people and did not often wear body decorations. Women of nobility wore jewelry only on holidays or ceremonial occasions. The climate was a main reason for such customs; it was too hot to wear numerous decorations.
Rome. For many centuries, the Roman empire was the largest empire. It spread over the areas of modern Europe and the Middle East. The jewelry found on its territory originated from a number of cultures and nations. Jewelry specific to the Roman empire included rings, brooches used to fasten coats and other cloths, and elegant pendants and lockets filled with incense. Earrings and bracelets were worn only by women. The most expensive pieces of jewelry were gold; cheaper ones were made of bronze, bones, or ivory. The earliest jewelry found was made from glass beads and pieces of shell. Romans were known as skilled gemstones setters; the stones they used often came from far-off lands. For example, they brought sapphires and diamonds from Sri-Lanka and amber and emeralds from India.
China. China was one of the first civilizations to master the art of jewelry making. Some items found in the region date back to 3,000 B.C. Jewelry making in China began with the crafting of ritual objects decorated with symbolic ornamentation and later evolved into the production of items for everyday use. Nevertheless, Buddhism has remained the most popular theme for decorations and engraving for centuries, even millennia, and is still popular today.
The Chinese were a few centuries ahead of Europeans in their mastery of jewelry making. They used milling technique in the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. and could create very complex and fine items. In contrast to other civilizations, the Chinese have always appreciated silver much more than gold. Blue and sky-blue enamels, glass, and stones remained popular throughout all periods of jewelry evolution in China. Nephrite, which symbolized self-esteem, firmness, and beauty, was the favorite stone of the Chinese.
India. The history of jewelry making in India began 5,000 years ago. The ethnic groups settled in the Indus valley about 2,000 years ago were already actively trading decorations made of calcined stones and glass beads. By around 1,500 B.C., Indians had already mastered the production of fine golden bracelets, rings, and earrings decorated with gems.
Traditionally, women wore jewelry in India. Men wore only rings and sometimes decorated their hair with small beads. Women were the real jewelry admirers, wearing numerous bracelets, pendents, necklaces, and earrings to mark their social status and prosperity.
Since the third century B.C., diamonds have been widely extracted in India. This stone has become traditional in Indian jewelry ever since that time. However, when Christian missionaries came to India, diamond trading was nearly stopped. New religious activists didn’t approve of diamond trading, but it was reestablished a while later.
Precious metals played an important part in the American history. American gold was the very reason that Spanish conquistadores colonized the continent. The volume, quality, beauty, and variety of gold from Native Indian culture are truly amazing. They could process gold and produce sophisticated, beautiful items, especially religious objects, even 5,000 years ago.
Aztecs, Mayans, Mixtecs, and Mochicans widely used gold, which was provided abundantly by the natural environment. Their unique, outstanding skills rival even those of modern jewelers who have access to precise machinery. Native Indian masters created many remarkable items that were not only elegantly and finely encrusted but also complex in structure and design.