A little History Jewelry (Paleolithic to Bronze Age)
It should come as no surprise that humans have always liked adorning themselves in one way or another. Adornments such as jewelry can indicate an advancement in craftsmanship, social contexts, and culture. Although intact pieces are very difficult to find, some of the oldest jewelry found to date is made from shells and dated to the Paleolithic era, around 100,000 to 150,000 years ago. How can we know it was possibly used for ornamentation or jewelry? Well, when you find 33 items of something in a cave where hominids dwelled, it doesn't tend to be a coincidence. Humans will be humans! The shells show indications of some modifications, polishing and striations. These shells may have been used as amulets or perhaps as other adornments whether on the body or on clothing.
The neolithic age shows a finer evolution of craftsmanship, with stones found with drilled holes and carvings. This is where historians also hypothesize that jewelry began to represent social status as well. For example, in bronze age Europe, the Unetice (2300-1600 BC, top left) and Tumulus (1600-1300 BC) cultures show extensive usage of gold and bronze to make gold bracelets, arm bands, anklets, and hair decorations.
Shown are also pieces from the bronze age of Babylon (1894 - 1595 BC, top right), Zhou Dynasty of China (1046 –256 BC, bottom right), and the Indus Valley Civilization of India (3300-1300 BC, bottom left). I’ve shown pieces from close time periods and different cultures to visualize the diversity between each one, but also highlight their similarities during these periods. Jewelry (or self-adornments) has been used as a form of self-expression, to indicate status, and to honor the dead as many burial sites have been the ones to yield jewelry findings.
Quality Materials
An important thing to highlight when it comes to jewelry is the quality of materials. There’s a variety of metals and of course, stones to choose from. Some people may have allergic reactions to metals that contain zinc, nickel, or other alloys, so keep this in mind while shopping. For the most part, hypoallergenic metals include stainless steel and sterling silver. Jewelry made from sterling silver, stainless steel and gold will last longer than that made from copper or brass because of tarnishing. Aside from these, a metal you may not know about that is great for jewelry is tungsten. It is also hypoallergenic, durable, won’t tarnish and more affordable than gold or platinum.
For gemstones, there’s a long list to choose from. From diamonds, topaz, pearls, to sapphires, emeralds, and ruby’s, you can have your pick of colors and with lab created gemstones, within any budget as well. Lab created gemstones are chemically identical to their natural counterparts, but without the costs and labor of mining. A good piece of jewelry will serve you on many different occasions. I have pieces of jewelry that I’ve been able to use from casual outings to more formal occasions.
Some good jewelry pieces can also be handed down for generations. An extreme example of this is the jewelry collection of royal families. Clearly, not everyone can afford the royal family's pearls, but you can buy something within your price range and pass it down. Pearls are an example of jewelry pieces that can be easily dressed up or down, and that last a lifetime if cared for properly.
So to close, I chose this topic because part of Xanthos is jewelry. The history of jewelry is a long and extensive topic as well as different materials, so this is a short summary for the more in depth topics that will be covered in other blog posts.
Until next time!
PS. This is a safe, respectful blog. Anyone and everyone is welcomed.
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