jewel school
Learn about the history of jewelry
what’s the oldest jewelry ever found?
Archeologists conducting excavations between 2014-2018 in the Bizmoune Caves in western Morocco found 33 shell beads dated to around 142,000-150,00 years ago. The beads come from two sea snail species: Columbella rustica and Tritia gibbosula.
Each bead had a hole drilled through it, presumably so they could be hung on strings or clothing, and many of the beads have smoothed edges suggesting the handwork of a craftsperson.
Where did the tradition of giving an engagement ring come from?
This was first done by Maximilian of Austria in 1477 - he gave his soon-to-be wife Mary of Burgundy a ring as a promise of marriage
Where did the word ‘jewelry’ derive from?
It started with the French word joule (toy), which is derived from the Latin word jocale (playing). In late Middle English, around the 17th and 18th centuries, it was spelled juelrye, which later became jewelry.
Why do we wear our wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand?
This dates back to ancient Rome. It was believed that there was a vein in this finger that ran directly to the heart, and so it became associated with love and commitment.
Emeralds were mined by the Egyptians as early as
3500 BC
Shine Bright like a…
Indians have been making fine jewelry for more than 5000 years, kicked off by the Indus Valley Civilization
DID YOU KNOW?
The first diamonds that humans discovered were found in India, unearthed around 400 BCE.
It’s greek to me
In ancient Greece, rings were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was believed that this finger had a vein, the “vena amoris” or the “vein of love,” that ran directly to the heart.
Wedding traditions
In ancient Rome, it was traditional for a groom to give his bride a ring made of iron as a symbol of their binding agreement.
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
In ancient Egypt, both men and women wore earrings as a sign of wealth and status.
I thee wed
Engagement rings date back to 1477 which were first popularized by the marriage of Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy
is it organic?
Did you know that organic gemstones are substances like pearls, coral and amber, all made by living organisms rather than created through natural geological processes?