Jewelry has always been a part of human culture. Even from the times when humans first started using clothes and tools some 100.000 years ago, jewelry was produced from any kind of materials that were available – stones, animal skins, feathers, plants, bones, shells, wood, and natural made semi-precious materials such as obsidian. As the time went on, advancing technology enabled artisans to start taming metals and precious gems into works of art that influenced entire cultures and many modern jewelry styles. However, even with all the advancements of metallurgy and gem processing, the purpose of wearing jewelry always remained the same – they enabled wearer to express himself non-verbally, showcase wealth, rank, political and religious affiliation or affections toward someone.
This enabled jewelry to become timeless and a target for constant development and refinement.
Development of early jewelry can be roughly divided across three ancient civilizations – Egypt, India and China. Egypt and Mesopotamia set standards in metallurgy, gem collecting, and glass manufacture. Their several thousand year long tradition of jewelry production laid a solid foundation for all European civilizations that came after them, and their unique style affected fashion trends even four thousand years later.
India, however, managed to develop such a connection to jewelry that it became an integral part of their daily life and religion. Since they were the first who managed to conquer the art of gold gathering and processing, they developed the art of jewelry making much earlier than anyone in their environment. This made them one of the most sought after destinations for trade, which eventually became the driving force for the incredible expansion of European civilization during the Age of Discovery.
On the far side of the world, China managed to become the driving force in the development of the Arts, and their influence slowly spread their unique style across the entire continent of Asia. Chinese styles that are focused on scenes of nature, animals and dragons are today still in high popularity, and continue to be developed with each passing year.
After the fall of Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, Europe became the apex of jewelry innovation. However, it took a long time until they managed to claim that position. After almost a thousand years of isolation, famine, plagues and wars, Western Europe finally came into contact with distant civilizations during the Crusades, which enabled the flow of new knowledge and ideas that enabled the birth of the Renaissance.
As the transfer of wealth from nobility, royalty and church continued to flow to middle classes during the Renaissance, Age of Discovery and Industrial Revolution, jewelry designs and fashion trends changed dramatically. During those times the world saw the appearance and disappearance of many styles, some new and original, and some based on older designs found in the ruins of long gone civilizations (mostly Egyptian, which became one of the inspirations of Romanticism and Art Deco). After more than 100.000 years of use of decorative items, and more than 6,000 years of metallurgy and gem processing, we can surely say that jewelry will forever remain an integral part of humanity and our entire civilization.
Nobility boasted their wealth through their accumulation of gold, gemstones, silver and fine jewelry, hand crafted by artisans of the period. Families passed these relics down through the generations. The middle class did not presume to wear jewelry made of precious metals and gemstones at first, but as the times changed, so did the sensibility of the consumer. We celebrate every major milestone – be it an engagement, birthday, wedding, graduation, etc., through the gift of jewelry. Humankind loves to adorn itself, and what better way to show affection for another than a lovely gift that keeps its value (and can even be worth much more, many times) forever.
We have been carrying on the tradition of jewelry crafting in Las Vegas since 1978. Our clients return time and time again to choose special gifts for their loved ones and to “fine tune” their own favorite pieces.
Let us show you what we do….stop into the store at The Strat in Las Vegas after you browse these pages!!