In the pantheon of the animal kingdom , it is just human beings who seek to adorn themselves . As far back as earliest man , jewelry played an integral part in society; in fact Jewelry objects have now been found in pre-historic Africa dating back many thousands of years.
Throughout history jewelry has been used to adorn and beautify, but it has also had another, spiritual role. Namely, as a conveyor of magical powers. To understand why jewelry has been so venerated through man’s histury, it is important to be aware of mankind’s long held belief that precious stones could intimately affect and dictate the fortunes of the bearer. Jewelry was made with certain principles in mind; namely to conform to and fortify beliefs. This was particularly the case as religions began to develop powerful bonds in human society
Indeed, throughout history jewelry was closely linked to religion and had an influential role to play in religious rites Similarly, began the notion that benefits could be gleaned from their wear and consequently there developed an complex web of fictitious powers being attributed to them. Intriguingly, many of the legends surrounding the benefits of certain stones were generally held globally, not just in one part of the world. Gold and gemstones universal to many parts of the globe were thought to defer similar qualities in their respective locations.
The gemstones of ancient times, although considered “precious” then, are not in the “precious stone” class of modern times .Until recently in the jewelry industry, only four gemstones were considered “precious”, namely the diamond, the blue sapphire, the emerald and the ruby . However, earlier in history Diamonds were virtually unknown as color was the ultimate definitor of value to the ancients. In today’s market, conversely, “precious” and “semi precious” stones as categories have been largely retired and Gemstones are revered for their rarity and intrinsic beauty instead. Tanzanite jewelry, for example is often found side by side with diamond jewelry in a jeweler’s window.
In modern times, jewelry has advanced from its traditional beautifucation and spiritual role to a more practical one. Jewels have become used as a symbol of affluence and social position. When assuming this role, they became an investment of marketable economic value. In actual fact, as far back as the 1600′s the concept of jewelry as an economic tool is evident with religious wars often financed with foreign loans guaranteed by a monarch’s “crown jewels”.
The three basic roles that jewelry has played, the ornament, the conveyor of magic and the symbol of wealth, have remained constant throughout history and are as true today as they were thousands of years ago. Jewelry is and will remain an intrinsic part of human society and emotion .
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