Jewellery - a modern history

Since ancient times, people from all over the world of all cultures have worn jewellery. And the reasons why they wore jewellery are as varied and diverse as the human race:

• Jewellery simply works as an ornament
• Jewellery often signifies love and attachment
• Jewellery can be used to express religious emblems
• Jewellery can signify social or official rank or political affiliations

And jewellery has been made out of all kinds of materials from feathers to leather, but it’s the precious metals and stones that made jewellery valuable and attractive.

From prehistoric times to the present day

Jewellery was made as long ago as prehistoric times, and over the centuries, social and religious status has been allocated to jewellery. As well as cultural significance, jewellery making emerged as a fine art as Italian sculptors turned their skills to becoming goldsmiths in Renaissance Italy. On the whole, jewellery became predominantly desirable for its decorative function, and by the 1900s advances in technology and production methods meant many Westerners could afford semi-precious stones. Jewellery made of precious metals for significant pieces such as engagement and wedding rings became de rigour.

Jewellery evolves

In the 17th and 18th centuries, jewellery began to split into two distinct groups:

• The eternal significance of jewellery such as diamond wedding rings, and,
• The dress jewellery that changed with the fashions of the day.

Diamonds became the preferred stone thanks to new technology that made the gems more brilliant. As industrial development advanced in the 18th and 19th centuries, mass production and mechanical processes meant jewellery became more accessible.

Jewellery sets

Men and women had sets of jewellery, and women would often have a necklace, brooch, earrings, ring and tiara. Men’s jewellery consisted of buttons, sword hilts, insignias and shoe buckles. Some of the most valuable in terms of cost, culture, history and art, are the jewellery sets designed for the royal families in Russia and Britain.

Jewellery revival

France saw a revival in the 1900s of flamboyant and expensive jewellery as the art nouveau movement focused on design using semiprecious stones, ivory and horn. The man who introduced art nouveau to jewellery became probably the most famous jeweller ever - Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany became the first major American jewellery designer.