| Many people find it hard to believe that the | | | | with birds, hearts, butterflies, dragonflies, |
| inception of jewelry occurred 100,000 years ago | | | | gemstone embellished flowers, ribbons, and bows. |
| as evidenced by mollusk jewelry found in South | | | | Jewelry containing the hair of both the living and |
| Africa. Mollusks are small snails and clams, and | | | | dead was especially popular. Some of these |
| their shells were used to fashion this jewelry, | | | | pieces were very intricate in their design. Lockets |
| although it was no doubt for more functional | | | | were also used to hold the hair or pictures of the |
| purposes (such as holding a garment together) | | | | deceased. |
| than it was for adorning people. In the earliest | | | | Victoria also preferred serpent designs, a symbol |
| days, natural material was used, such as animal | | | | of eternal love, and her engagement ring from |
| teeth, shells, bone, wood and stone. | | | | Prince Albert in 1840 was a serpent designed with |
| The first period during which jewelry was used | | | | an emerald in its head. Terms of endearment |
| extensively to adorn people was the Georgian era | | | | such as "dearest" or "regard" often appeared on |
| beginning in the 1760's. Larger size jewelry from | | | | engagement rings. A brooch of sapphires and |
| the past was replaced by delicate smaller forms. | | | | diamonds, a gift from her husband-to-be, adorned |
| It is very difficult to locate jewelry from this | | | | her wedding dress. The Queen also favored opals, |
| period, but jewelry from the Victorian period | | | | but other affordable semi-precious stones |
| beginning in the mid 1800's under the reign of | | | | appealed to the mass market such as amethyst, |
| Queen Victoria is a different story. The Victorian | | | | coral, pearls, turquoise and garnet. Ivory, seed |
| era ended in 1901 upon the death of the Queen. | | | | pearls, bog oak, smoky quartz, jasper, agate, |
| The young Queen, who was crowned at eighteen, | | | | enamel, ,petrified wood, marble, as well as gold |
| not only loved jewelry, but also designed it. In | | | | and silver found in Scottish jewelry were also |
| favor were cameos carved of conch shells by | | | | popular with the public, as tartan plaids became |
| Italians. Women were known to travel to Italy to | | | | fashionable after the Queen's children started |
| purchase necklaces, earrings, and brooches of | | | | wearing them. |
| cameo designs, and lava jewelry made from | | | | New finds of gold resulted in creating different |
| colored lava of Mt. Vesuvius. Soon the industrial | | | | methods of gold processing, and gold jewelry |
| revolution saw the manufacture of jewelry, and | | | | became more affordable. Diamonds, because of |
| resulted in the end of the hand carving. | | | | South Africa diamond mines opening, were also |
| The Queen also got credit for the charm bracelet, | | | | becoming within the reach of the middle class. In |
| and had a number of charms designed. She often | | | | 1861, Victoria's husband Prince Albert died, and |
| gave jewelry as gifts to family and friends. | | | | so-called mourning jewelry made of black stones |
| Jewelry had been a status symbol of the | | | | such as onyx, jet and black enamel were in |
| wealthy, or to accompany fashionable outfits, but | | | | vogue. They were commonly worn by relatives |
| the emergence of the middle class created a | | | | of the deceased. Jet was carved into necklaces, |
| demand for a larger quantities being produced. | | | | earrings, and pins. The suffragette movement |
| Queen Victoria continued to set the trend for | | | | was beginning and the black jewelry continued to |
| other women, and her romantic nature as well as | | | | be fashionable. Sets of jewelry were introduced |
| nature itself were reflected in jewelry designed | | | | during this period. |