Jewelry Through Time

Throughout time, man has sought to decorate the human body which has manifested as body painting, tattoos, piercing and decoration by the wearing of adornments generally know as jewelry.

In ancient times, jewelry were simple pieces made from natural materials such as shells plucked from the seashore or pebbles worn smooth and polished by years of being tumbled along the sea or river bed. These would have been strung together perhaps as necklaces or wrist pieces as early examples of a charm bracelet. Nature gives up so many beautiful things that can be used to make items such as earrings, rings, bracelets, hair pieces and so the list goes on.

Skilled craftsmen would have laboured for many hours intricately carving small pieces of bone, ivory or wood to fashion exquisite unique pieces of jewelry, no two of which would ever be the same.

To ancient man, jewelry was not just decorative but very symbolic with the wearer often held the belief that these trinkets brought luck, would ward off evil spirits or even help them defeat their enemies in battle.

To the Romans and Ancient Egyptians, the wearing of jewelry, and the type of jewelry worn, was a direct indication of an individual's standing in the community. Large heavy ornate pieces forged from solid precious metals such as gold, encrusted with precious or semi precious gemstones communicated great wealth and importance.

Styles and materials may have changed over time but the wearing of diamond jewelry has always been a practice adopted by both men and women.

In modern times, we have seen a huge increase in the type and variety of jewelry available and the discovery of new, strong and lightweight metals such as titanium and palladium has given rise to many new possibilities. Man made materials such as acrylics and plastics also lend themselves very well to the manufacture of affordable, colorful jewelry.

Today, the ability to personalize your jewelry with your choice of names, messages, dates, and Chinese symbols lets you create intensely personal and meaningful jewelry - a wonderful gift for someone special, including yourself!

John Lewis runs Love2Have an on line jewellery website that only sells UK hand made ladies and diamond jewelry including engagement rings and wedding rings.