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SINCE ancient time
human beings have adorned themselves with jewellery for the
same reasons people all over the world still do today. In
Western culture, religions and spiritual symbolism has
largely faded our of jewellery in recent times, and wearing
it has become more closely tied with fashion and
self-decoration. But the desier to adorn oneself is
remarkably universal across cultures and across time.
Ancient beads and other jewellery rarely survive intact, and
much of it has been modified (restrung or reset) for
collectors of antiquities. The jewellery of ancient
Mediterranean cultures has also inspired a host of
imitations and inspirations over the centuries.
The ancient Mediterranean was by no means the only place
where jewellery was worn and valued. Samples from Asia and
the Americans demonstrate that the instinct to adorn, and to
express status through jewellery, is as old as human
civilisation.
LIFE PASSAGES
Jewellery has long served as a maker of life's passages. The
birth of a child, courtship and marriage, even death and
mourning, are all seen as occasions to be commemorated by
the giving and wearing of jewellery. These important social
milestonse inspire a range of forms and designs. The choice
of adornment may herald an individual's change in social
status in a very visible way, as in the large jeweled g'au
necklaces that Tibetan women wear. Other forms of jewellery
are more intimate in nature, with personal rather than
public significance. This sort of meaning is easy to lose,
if the original owner's history is not kept intact.
Jewellery made of gemstones and other luxury materials is
designed to impress or win favour, particularly during
courtship and marriage. Materials are also chosen for their
sentimental value, as seen in jewellery incorporating locks
of haif from a loved one.
STATUS AND POWER
The most powerful people ofany culture are the most likely
to adorn themselves with jewellery made of precious
materials. In every culture, wealth equals power. Different
cultures, however, have a wide range of ideas as to what is
precious. Some precious materials -such as gold, silver and
gemstones - have been widely associated with wealth for
thousands of years. In other cultures, colour, texture or
scarcity can endow a material with inherent value and give
it status.
Somehow, 'dazzle' is an idea that is linked to powerful
people. Once this meant the social and political rulers of a
people - emperors and sultans and other aristocratic folks.
Since the 1920s, however, movie stars, sports stars and
other celebrities have become the new jeweliery-wearing role
models, and their influence is increasingly global in its
reach.
JEWELLERY AS ART
Jewellery - especially that made for cultural leaders - has
alwavs served as a showcase for the artistic skill and
craftsmanship of its makers, but its intrinsic value has
usually been a key element in its cultural value. In the
second half of the 19th century, the idea arose that
jewellery could be more about art than about precious
materials, Jewelers began using materials that were not
highly valued, and began using gemstones artistically, for
their colour rather than their carat weight. In the 10th
century this was carried to its logical conclusiop with the
use of plastics, glass and other non-precious materials to
produce jewellery that gives the wearer sta-
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