| Gold has been in fashion since the early Egyptian | | | | 15th century as necklines plummeted, revealing |
| societies adorned almost every part of their | | | | milky white skin that complemented a bejeweled |
| bodies with gold jewelry over 3000 years ago. | | | | throat. Bracelets and earrings were again worn by |
| Earrings appeared in Egyptian fashion around | | | | the upper class. The wealthy started to carry |
| 1500BC. However, Pharaohs have not been | | | | gold personal cases (pomanders), often intricately |
| recognized as wearing earrings. Mycenaeans wore | | | | inlaid with jewels and depicted motifs, holding |
| gold finger rings while the Greeks adorned | | | | snuff or personal wares. |
| themselves in many gold jewelry varieties. | | | | Another curious style of jewelry was the prayer |
| Women wore necklaces, diadems, rings, bracelets | | | | books, which hung on a chain from the waist to |
| and wreaths. Men ornamented themselves with | | | | the hem of a woman's skirts. Italians are credited |
| finger rings and wreaths. Aphrodite, Eros and | | | | with the wise decision of wearing jewelry to |
| Artemis were worn as decorative figures on | | | | embellish beauty, rather than as a sign of status. |
| necklaces. Chokers figured prominently in Greek | | | | Men of the Italian Renaissance did not adorn |
| gold jewelry adornment. Greek men wore | | | | themselves with much jewelry, preferring instead |
| earrings that were thought to be an effeminate | | | | elaborate hat jewels. The advent of gold chains |
| expression. | | | | returned, with both men and women partaking in |
| From 300-400AD in China, hair ornaments were | | | | the fashion of adorning their necks. In the 17th |
| crafted of gold. Ornamental filigree and granulation | | | | century, Baroque fashion saw the rise of intricate |
| was applied as well as the setting of precious | | | | detail and ostentatious design of flowing silk fabric, |
| stones. Ancient Chinese men and women wore | | | | bringing the French court to the forefront of |
| gold earrings as a sign of popular adornment, with | | | | fashion trendsetting. In the classic revival period of |
| the higher status peoples wearing gold and silver | | | | the 19th century, traditional Roman cameos |
| and the lower classes bronze and copper. | | | | reemerged as fashionable, pale faces surrounded |
| Necklaces were not popular among the Ancient | | | | by gold. |
| Chinese prior to 700AD. In ancient Japanese | | | | A set of short gold chains, also known as the |
| culture, jewelry was very rare aside from a few | | | | chatelaine, were used for carrying keys and other |
| hair ornaments. India began the tradition of | | | | wares from a woman's belt. Louis XIV influenced |
| wearing gold nose rings circa 900-1000AD, which | | | | jewelry fashion when a small gold locket was |
| was introduced by the Muslims. | | | | named after his mistress, Lavaliere. In the later |
| In Medieval times, gold jewelry of brooches, rings, | | | | 1800s, after excavations in Etruscan, Roman and |
| pendants, belt clasps and hat badges were | | | | Greek tombs and ruins revealed the jewelry of |
| generally worn adorning clothing and by both men | | | | the ancient civilizations. As it happens, fashion |
| and women. From the 14th century on, a | | | | would follow in history's footsteps with this |
| heart-shaped gold ring brooch became a popular | | | | retro-discovery and it became trendy to wear |
| symbol of love between paramours. Jeweled | | | | archaeologically correct styles of jewelry. |
| necklaces and tight chokers returned in the late | | | | |