| Like many customs in our civilization, jewelry has a long | | | | Egyptian jewelry artifacts. |
| and varied history that in some ways has changed | | | | In Assyria, 4,000 years ago, men and women both |
| little, and in other ways, changed significantly. | | | | wore large amounts of jewelry, including ankle |
| The notion of jewelry has existed for thousands of | | | | bracelets, amulets, necklaces and various seals. |
| years, dating back to humanity's ancestors, the | | | | The Greeks, unlike their predecessors, hardly ever |
| Cro-Magnons. The Cro-Magnons, over 40,000 years | | | | wore jewelry, choosing instead to wear it only on |
| ago, used to make crude necklaces out of bone, teeth | | | | special occasions. |
| or stone. One archaeological dig in Russia found some | | | | The Romans were similar in their practice, and like the |
| necklaces made from the tusks of Woolly Mammoths. | | | | Greeks, only wore jewelry on special occasions. If |
| Often, jewelry was made to show a sense of power, | | | | they wore it in public, it was usually to ward of the Evil |
| usually by a tribal chief or shaman. This concept of | | | | Eye. In Roman-ruled Britain, fossilized wood would |
| jewelry related to power would be a constant | | | | often be carved into jewelry for the nobility on the |
| throughout human history and the defining | | | | island. |
| characteristic of the ornaments. | | | | After the fall of the Roman Empire, the crafting of |
| With the dawn of civilization, the jewelry worn by | | | | jewelry continued to grow and become more |
| those in power became more beautiful and difficult to | | | | complex. The Celts enjoyed creating heavily artistic |
| obtain. | | | | jewelry that often featured religious symbols. |
| The ancient Egyptians preferred to wear gold jewelry, | | | | As well, during the Middle Ages, jeweled weapons |
| which they felt symbolized the Pharaoh's power, as | | | | became more and more popular among high-ranking |
| well as the religious power of the priests. | | | | soldiers. These weapons displayed a class distinction |
| The Egyptians did not prefer to wear gemstones, and | | | | and prestige on the battlefield. |
| instead wore variations of colored glass because they | | | | High-ranking religious officials in the church would also |
| liked the colors that could be created on the glass. | | | | wear gold and jewel encrusted rings to denote their |
| Even after death, the Egyptians would leave jewelry | | | | status in the church. Jewelry would continue to evolve |
| with the pharaohs and nobility to take with them to the | | | | through the Middle Ages until the Renaissance, when |
| afterlife. Unfortunately, grave robbers have robbed | | | | the jewelry industry changed forever. That is a topic |
| historians of many of the examples of Ancient | | | | for another time. |