Public opinion reflects new stance
The new consumer society opened up the jewelry world to everyone, not just the rich. Jewelry ads were in every magazine. This is an especially opulent shot of a Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry set.
Pictured, the cameo originally came from Greece in the 3rd century BCE, but Renaissance jewellers brought it back into fashion. They are usually made from shell and coral and set in gold or silver. They're still popular today in the vintage scene.
No one can deny that the '80s were crazy fashion years. Women adorned themselves with large beaded necklaces and big earrings. Jelly bracelets were also very popular.
When the economy started to recover, bright and happy jewelry made a comeback. This necklace was made by Chanel in the '60s. It looks like there are influences from the Renaissance here!
In the '20s, women started wearing shorter skirts and cut their hair. Part of this new boyish look was wearing a wrist watch. As a result, jewellers started making bracelets in the style of watches, like this one now valued at US$500,000!
Art Deco happened during the Roaring Twenties. It was all about bright colors and geometrical shapes. There was also a lot of Oriental influence.
Due to the fashionability of two-dimensional prints, Japanese and Chinese culture became popular in the West. The decorative nature of Oriental culture influenced European jewelry makers to imitate Eastern patterns.
Art Nouveau is also known as the Modern Style. In this period women started to wear bejewelled headdresses with flowers. Colors such as green and pink were also considered popular, but jewelry tended to be white to give it an airy appearance.
Gold became essential in the '70s. A renewed appreciation for the medieval era saw large chains and metallic belts become popular again. Everything had to be chunky and bold.
As you might guess from the hieroglyphs, this bead is from Ancient Egypt, where a jewelry revolution was underway. It first started with engraving little steatite beads like this one.
Jewelry in the period between 400 and 1000 CE was uncommon, not only because many people could not afford it but also because the church was a large presence in daily life. Non-religious jewelry was quite taboo back then because it was not considered modest.
Craftsmen then discovered how to work with metals, and therefore started creating jewelry inspired by birds, scrolls, and their favorite, scarab beetles.
Emperor Justinian liked jewelry so much that, in 529 CE, he decreed that every free man could wear a gold ring–but sapphires, emeralds, and pearls could only be worn by the Emperor! Not much luck for women...
Now we move on to Ancient Greece, where jewelry becomes even more intricate. The Greeks broke from previous trends by using more gemstones in their work. Their inspirations were shells and animals, but their favorite style was setting amethysts, emeralds, and pearls in gold.
The Sumerian people, who dominated Mesopotamia, were avid jewelry wearers. They based their designs on animals, grapes, and geometrical shapes. This lovely necklace was found in Iraq.
Eons ago, starting in 110,000 BCE, humans used shells as beads and amulets. Archaeologists have found fossilized shells and determined that they belonged to the Gravettian culture. The Gravettians specialized in mammoth hunting! While wearing jewelry, apparently.
This delicate golden gazelle was either an earring or part of a diadem. The Mesopotamians were one of the first peoples to introduce gemstones into jewelry making, using stones such as agate, jasper, lapis, and carnelian.
The Egyptians also started to make more intricate designs using gold. They gathered alluvial gold from the river by gold panning. As a result, their goldsmith skills improved and they were able to make new kinds of jewelry.
Here we have Mary Duchess of Burgundy, also known as Mary the Rich. If you were wealthy and religious, then jewelry was allowed.
Created during the Hellenistic period, these earrings depict heads of the Ibex, a kind of wild mountain goat.
One lucky metal detectorist found this example of a medieval brooch back in 2017. It is only one of seven examples in the world, showing how rare jewelry really was in the medieval period.
Between 500 BCE to 400 CE, the Romans changed the style. They were fans of snakes because they represented fertility and a creative life force. Serpents were also the symbol of the cult of the goddess Isis. Generally, their jewelry involved more coils and gold than the Greeks'.
Eleanor of Austria (1498-1558) displays the new ornamental style with her jewelry-laden outfit. In order to show off their social status, nobles would find inventive ways to wear as many pieces as possible, often actually sewing them onto their outfits.
Our beloved gold appeared around when humans invented the wheel and started domesticating animals in 4400 BCE. Known for its ability to stay untarnished through time, Thracian craftsmen created many golden treasures, which have been found in Bulgaria.
These little pieces of jewelry were found during the discovery of one of the largest excavations of Thracian treasure. These little balls were put in a Thracian tomb over 2,400 years ago.
The style became more metal-based and many pieces of jewelry were adorned with patriotic motifs.
During WWI and WWII, jewelry trends changed because of widespread embargoes on gemstones and general chaos in Europe.
The influence of the Renaissance continued until new trends came about in the Georgian era (1714-1837). Jewelry became widely worn because religion was more accepting of it and people had more money. The style became more opulent. It was fashionable to have jewelry in the shape of chandeliers, and diamonds became a necessity for evening attire.
This novelty piece comes from the famous tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, from the 14th century BCE. The Egyptians' obsession with the scarab beetle was due to it representing the sun god Re. Nowadays, many know the scarab beetle as a dung beetle.
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was originally meant to be the trade point between the Eastern and Western worlds. Many gems flowed through these trade routes, heralding a new style rich with precious metals and stones.
The late Princess Diana pioneered new jewelry trends in the '90s. Tastes became simpler, with women opting for chokers, pendants, and gothic crosses. Wearing no jewelry was also trendy. On another note, it became very popular for men to don earrings and chains.
See also: Towering tiaras and more: Extravagant jewelry owned by British royals
The Romans also brought utility to their jewelry by wearing seal rings, talismans, and amulets. They were often adorned with stones that are popular today, such as diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. Indeed, the Roman legacy is present in much of modern jewelry.
From around 1300 to 1600 CE, there was a resurgence of culture and art inspired by antiquity. It is here that diamonds became a girl's best friend. There was a craze for new, detailed jewelry adorned with the most precious gems.
From 1890 to 1910, there was a rebellion against more academic ways of making art. Art Nouveau was a return to nature-inspired culture, utilizing what they call "whiplash curves" to imitate vines.
Who found the first diamonds? How is our jewelry different from thousands of years ago?
These questions may pop into your head when putting on your own jewelry. From hunter gatherer tribes to the modern age, humans have decorated themselves with gemstones, beads, gold, and silver for a long, long time. We are naturally drawn to beautiful things, and as the years have gone on jewelry design has become more and more eye-catching.
This gallery will take you through the many trends of European jewelry, from emperors' golden rings to trendy '90s chokers. Click through to learn more!
A history of jewelry
A journey through the many trends of European jewelry
LIFESTYLE Gems
Who found the first diamonds? How is our jewelry different from thousands of years ago?
These questions may pop into your head when putting on your own jewelry. From hunter gatherer tribes to the modern age, humans have decorated themselves with gemstones, beads, gold, and silver for a long, long time. We are naturally drawn to beautiful things, and as the years have gone on jewelry design has become more and more eye-catching.
This gallery will take you through the many trends of European jewelry, from emperors' golden rings to trendy '90s chokers. Click through to learn more!