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History of Jewelry - The Brief
The History of Jewelry is recorded in gold, precious metals, and gemstones from deep within the earth herself....... unlike archaeology, that relies on 'bones and stones' (and they're not the gemstone kind either), to record the events of the past. "The record of jewelry art history is a tribute to beauty, a monument of unfathomable love - a universal, positive force! (The photo is an image of the masterwork of Johannes Vermeer, 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring" - it captures the true qualities, especially the "orient" of a natural pearl almost perfectly) It's a brilliant story, revealed only as it ever can be, on HER terms, in precious gemstones, noble metals only found within the depths of the largest handcrafted jewelry box in the entire world; mother earth herself. It doesn't matter much, whether you use, jewelry, (American) or history of jewellery (British), but your interpretation and understanding of Estate and Antique Jewelry will come to mean everything. And the deeper you dig into the beautiful world of Antique Jewelry, the more important the History of Jewelry becomes. The History of Jewelry plays a very big role in your ability to understand your Antique Jewelry and the value of each one.
What Does ANTIQUE Really Mean Anyhow?The word, 'antique' comes from the Latin word 'antiquus' which means 'old'. The word 'jewellery' is derived from the word 'jewel' from the Old French word 'jouel' in around the 13th century - the word 'jouel' comes from the Latin word 'jocale' which means a 'plaything'.Antique Jewelry is jewelry that has reached 100 years or more, some argue 70 years only, making it a witness of a previous era in our history. Historically, however, "antiques" hold a particular reference. Those antiquities from Old Greek and Roman civilizations, known as the 'Age of Antiquity' are considered antiques, but this is only applied in certain contexts, not in the true sense of the definition. Antiques Jewelry is all around us! Antique Jewelry is an ongoing commodity of human civilization and will always hold a wonderful significance in the History of Jewelry. Without Antique Jewelry, we can never know ourselves. Jewelry History is Full of Identification Tips!The history of jewelry, basically can tell you the age, and period of your Antique Jewelry. Antique Jewelry buying basics, provides a general overview of what you should know before you do some retail therapy; it walks you through the basics. By cross-referencing the styles, forms, materials and gemstones used in jewelry design throughout the History of Jewelry, antique dealers can period date Antique Jewelry. Time to re-think the 'History of Jewelry'? I'm passionate about it! Join me, at Antique Jewelry Investor on a fantastic journey through time and jewels to have a closer look at the History of Jewelry. The jewelry of days gone by, that we hold in our hands today, are symbolic testaments, in gold and precious stones, (some diamonds are scientifically proven to be a composition from actual stars!) of a person's great and enduring love, unimaginable passion and incomparable craftsmanship. Craftsmanship of this quality, we no longer see today. Take for example, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall's royal diamond engagement wedding ring. 
Art Deco Jewel
happens to be a diamond engagement ring, and is a perfect example of the linear perfection during the Art Deco of the 20s. At one time owned by The Queen Mother herself. This is a heirloom ring and is comprised of an emerald cut center diamond with three diamond baguettes on each side of it. Recently introduced were the rectangular baguette diamonds of art deco in the 1920s. A symbol of love in the form of platinum and diamonds is appointed keeper of the royal flame of love for over a generation. In keeping with tradition, the couple's wedding rings were crafted from gold from the Clogau St David’s mine in Bontddu, North Wales. Previous royal wedding rings have been made from 22 karat gold from the same mine. Some indeed from the very same nugget of gold! In keeping with tradition, from 1576 - 1798 only the highest carat gold (22 carat) was used. The Duchess, also wore Queen Mary's Durbar diamond Tiara and Queen Alexandra's diamond and emerald welsh brooch and The Queen Mother's diamond strap watch on her wedding day. Antique Jewelry and Its Political Role in the History of JewelryLet's do some time traveling back in time. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, anyone? Well, we have thousands of years of time and thousands of jewels to uncover. Our time travel begins at the dawn of 18th century and from there we travel forward, towards the present, stopping off at the dawn of 20th century. Our destination is Europe. Since the beginning of time, jewelry including pearl jewelry has answered a deep and personal love of beauty. But that's just the beginning of the story. It's also been used as an economic tool in politics, throughout the long history of jewelry, and brilliantly as the Emperor Napoleon shows us in the Georgian era. While reading about the history of jewelry keep in mind:
Click on the links below to enter the decorative periods during the history of jewelry.
Does the History of Jewelry have a Future?Good Question! We have talked briefly about Antique Jewelry through the History of Jewelry, so what about the FUTURE of Jewelry? Does it even have one? Well, since 1918 few Jewels have been designed for court wear in any country and since 1939, even less. Adding to that is the fact, that for political and economic reasons, the West does not encourage the making of such splendid Jewels anymore. This is all good news for jewelry collectors because it means that the fantastic Antique Jewels of the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras which are already rare and precious will become even rarer and therefore even more valuable. All the while, increasing in value in our own collections, or while we enjoy wearing them! The future of Jewelry as an art is uncertain, but the History of Jewelry is set in gold, diamonds and precious stones for the antique jewelry connoisseur to collect!
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