Of all the world’s creatures , it is solely  human beings who seek to adorn themselves . long ago as the Neanderthal age , jewelry played an important  part in society; Indeed articles of jewelry have now been found in pre-historic Africa dating back seventy five thousand years.

Throughout history jewelry has been used  to adorn and beautify, but it has also had another, spiritual role. Jewelry has long been used as an amulet endowing the wearer with magical powers. In fact, to fully comprehend why jewelry has been so venerated through the ages it is important to be aware of mankind’s long held belief that precious stones could closely impact on the fortunes of the bearer. Jewelry was made with certain principles in mind; namely to conform to and fortify beliefs. This was particularly the case as religions began to develop powerful bonds in human society

Indeed, jewelry has long been intimately associated with religious rites. Jewelry was used as a gift to facilitate worship.  Similarly, began the notion that benefits could be gleaned from their wear and consequently there developed an complex  network of fictitious powers being attributed to them. Intriguingly, many of the legends surrounding the benefits of certain stones were generally held globally, not just in one part of the world. Gold and gemstones universal to many parts of the globe were thought to defer similar qualities in their respective locations.

The gemstones of ancient times, although considered “precious” then, are not in the “precious stone”  class of modern times .Until recently in the jewelry industry, only four gemstones were considered “precious”, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond and Sapphire . However, further back in history Diamonds were not revered as color was the ultimate definitor of value to the ancients. Today, with the advent of recently discovered rare stones like Tsavorite, Tanzanite and Paraiba Tourmaline, the words “precious” and “semi precious” are no longer given much credence. Gemstones are revered for their rarity and intrinsic beauty instead. Tanzanite jewelry, as an example, is now as widely revered as blue sapphire jewelry

In modern times, jewelry has progressed from a basic ornamental or amulet role to a more practical one. Jewels have become used as a symbol of  position in society and of wealth . When assuming this role, they became an investment of marketable economic value. Indeed, the concept of jewelry as easily liquidated and portable wealth became an important part of European politics as far back as the middle ages. Crown jewels were often used during the religious wars to guarantee foreign loans.  .

In history the 3 fundamental parts that jewelry has played, the ornament, the conveyor of magic and the symbol of power and affluence, have remained constant throughout history and are as true  today as they were thousands of years ago. Jewelry is and will remain an intrinsic part of human society and human psyche .