The origin of Jewels

The idea for this newsletter came to me while helping my daughter with her school works. She was studying the babylonians and sumerians and their culture and I was impressed while reading that women at those ancient times liked to adorn themselves with jewels , this revealing a surprising level in craftmanship on one side and a refined taste on the other.
Continuing with the reading I was even more surprised and astonished as this section started: “ the entire population accepted decorative items and jewels into their daily routine and everyone wore at least something decorative with themselves all the time”.
I could not refrain from imagining beautiful young women (at those times you did not get really old in fact), with long black, silky hair, covered with perfumes and oils and embellished with necklaces, earrings and precious stones.
They would be walking in the shadows of palm trees while carrying a basket full of ripe dates and grapes…I admit my imagination can too easily be excited sometimes.
Anyway…I also said to myself that we should once and for good recover such habits...nowadays we are probably losing something, namely the pleasure of Beauty, in our engagement and commitment to the practical, pragmatic, solid side of things only.

As my curiosity was definitively aroused I did some research in the internet and found out that: “scientists believe that the oldest Stone Age jewelry pieces found date back 100,000 years. They were found in a cave in Blombos, South Africa. These pieces are beads made of mollusk shells called nassarius kraussianus. After finding these beads, historians had proof that Stone Age people made the fine bone tools needed to create delicate beads”.
It seems that we have always felt this urge to adorn/decorate/embellish ourselves and that it is a part of the human nature.
The first jewels manufactured were crude necklaces and bracelets made of bone, teeth and stone stitched to animal sinew but at the times of the babylonians and sumerians the artisans were already skilled enough as to create rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and pins in metal, often inlaid with bright-coloured stones like agate, lapis, carnelian, and jasper. Their favourite shapes were leaves, spirals, cones, and bunches of grapes. They still have the power to fascinate us!

It was with the ancient greeks and romans that silver and gold started being used instead of other material. Also they used bronze, bone, glass beads and pearls. About 2,000 years back, they imported sapphires from Sri Lankan and diamonds from India. Emeralds and amber were common too.
In the end I was surprised to find out that jewelry has such a long tradition and that we are now developing and pursuing an Art with a prestigious and eminent past. From now on I will feel prouder to be a Jeweller and a representative of this creditable Art.
I leave you with some of our creations, the Brightfall rings which are an expression of Beauty and an affordable way to get an easy access to it.
Enjoy Life, enjoy Jewellery!!!

Brightfall rings, in white and pink gold, with brown or grey diamonds, ct 1.60