Back to the Streets Where We Began…

Jewellery making is a practice that has existed all over the world for thousands of years. It is seen as a “distinct marker of social status”, such as your class; your marital status; sometimes it was used to commemorate certain events, such as “memorializing loved ones”; and in later years, when jewellery became more of a decorative object, it was “personalized…to tell its story” with the use of engravings or inscriptions (Wees).

Jewellery has been worn since the prehistoric times, when it was crudely made from shell, stones, and bones.  In the medieval times, jewelry was made with various metals, with gold and silver being worn by the upper class, and simpler metals such as copper and pewter were worn by the lower class (“Ancient”). Gems were polished rather than cut due to the simpler technology, and they were also believed to have special protective properties depending on their type and colour (“Ancient”). Jewellery continued to be used as a symbol of status and power well into the Renaissance era and onwards, where improved techniques in cutting and engraving led to the use of religious symbolism, mythological figures, and portraits become more common (“Ancient”).

The nineteenth century was filled with several new developments such as the invention of Vulcanite, which was used as a “durable and practical substitute for imported tortoiseshell”; the California Gold Rush of 1849; and the rising popularity of diamond jewellery (Wees). Finally, the twentieth century saw the Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement, which saw a move towards “natural and asymmetrical forms” and a “revive of handcraftmanship” (Wees)

Works Cited

Wees, Beth Carver. "Nineteenth-Century American Jewelry". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. Web. 1 June 2014.

“History of Jewellery: Ancient World Jewellery”. Victoria and Albert Museum. n.p. n.d. Web. 1 June 2014.

(note: sorry for posting so late! I was focused on my third entry and forgot about posting it!)