For jewellery that really sparkles

Jewellery is a very personal thing. You can catch two people wearing the same outfit, but you’re unlikely to catch them with the same jewellery. We can wear jewellery to make a statement about who we are, or just because we like it. It’s very individual and there’s so much choice today that it can be hard to make up your mind! Fortunately, it’s now much more affordable too so you can have lots more of it!

Jewellery is one of the oldest forms of body adornment. Human beings have been wearing it for centuries. In fact, ever since the Cro-Magnons (circa 40,000 years ago) first wore crude necklaces and bracelets made from bone, teeth and stone or used carved bone to pin their clothes together. And we’ve been wearing it ever since, and continually refining and perfecting it as we’ve gone along!

Of course jewellery has come a long way since then but our ancestors knew the power of jewellery, whether it was for practical reasons, or purely for decorative purposes. They made their jewellery beautiful and it was unique because each piece was handcrafted.

The first pieces of jewellery were made from natural materials since they were the only choices available. But our ancestors were nothing if not ingenious; they used bone, shell, wood, stone and precious metals. Jewellery made from precious metals and stones were just as prestigious then as now and they would have been purely for wealthy and important individuals. But they didn’t just wear jewellery in life, they often took it with them when they died; think of the Ancient Egyptians who entombed themselves with their jewellery and other worldly possessions. That’s what you call a status symbol!

Today we mostly wear our jewellery because we love it than for purely practical reasons but maybe we do still wear it for status; think rolex watches! Of course jewellery has always been symbolic; think of the wedding ring or engagement ring, or the crucifix or Star of David. We use jewellery to make statements about who we are, whether we’re married or engaged, rich, or important. Think of the Queen and the crown jewels!

The jewellery we wear now is influenced by many cultures and by many different periods in time too, think Celtic, or art nouveau for instantly recognisable styles that have been around for quite some time now! Not to mention the rise of the great jewellery houses in the 19th century like Tiffany’s in the US, Cartier in France, Bulgari in Italy and Faberge in Russia. These names are just as prestigious and instantly recognisable today. And just as symbolic too! But influence from cultural trends is apparent in jewellery too, take bling bling for instance. It originated from hip hop culture and has really changed our perception of jewellery. It’s now cool for guys to wear expensive jewellery too!

The fact that jewellery is now mass produced means it’s much cheaper too. Of course some pieces are still expensive; anything with precious metals and gemstones can be pricey. Also anything that’s unique and hand made. But today we have a much wider choice of fabulous things to make our jewellery from, including some amazing man made materials. In fact, you can pretty much make anything into jewellery; gold, silver, bronze, platinum, gemstones, glass, wood, enamel, ivory, shells, and plastics! The only rule is that it looks good and the only limitations are your imagination! Diamonds have long been considered the most valuable of all the gemstones. Not for nothing are they a girl’s best friend! But now if you can’t afford the real thing, you’ve got the choice of some fabulous man made diamonds like cubic zirconia or moissanite. And they look so good it can be hard to tell the difference unless you’re an expert. Spoilt for choice!

Today jewellery is as wonderfully diverse as the materials used to make it. Mass production and the use of artificial gemstones make it affordable too. Thank heavens for costume jewellery! But of course many jewellers still continue to design and make unique individualistic pieces. And if you love the idea of unique jewellery, then you’ll love this fabulous website for really beautiful bespoke jewellery http://www.reliquiaejewelry.com/index_content.html. Each piece is hand made from natural materials like shells, semi-precious stones and crystals. And they’re all just gorgeous too!
http://www.thebigfashionbible.com/browse.asp?cat=79 is USA & CA and http://www.thebigfashionbible.com/browse.asp?cat=77 for UK

So 40,000 years on, and we’re still wearing jewellery! For some of us jewellery is still a great way of flaunting our wealth and status. But for most of us it’s just because we love it!