Saturday, 8 October 2011

The Purposes for Jewelry

By Debrah Langston


Early forms of the pendant and the cameo were popularized by the Romans. These fashions were born partially from necessity since it was common that clothing was not stitched together but instead pinned. These ancient adornments offered people the opportunity to embellish clothing with beautifully crafted pieces that would also function as fasteners for their clothing. The opportunity to purchase and give sets of these adornments was a more common way of sharing jewelry with loved ones and relatives.

It was traditional for women to seek greater adornment through ornaments than men but both wore various styled jewelry for beauty and some for function. Trinkets worn by women often included a wide variety of earrings, bracelets, amulets, necklaces, pendants, cameos, tiaras, coronets and diadems. T

Roman jewelry was typically constructed from gold and included precious and semi-precious stones. The most popular stones included were emerald, turquoise, garnet, carnelian, chalcedony, feldspar and amethyst. Pearls were also a popular inclusion in jewelry of the day.

An association of status and meaning began to take on a more formal shape during the Roman Empire. Rings were a common sign of rank or position, but the Romans also popularized the use of rings to signify those that had been engaged for marriage. Originally, rings were a right reserved for the powerful class, but emperor Justinian soon repealed this law to allow all citizens to purchase and wear rings.

Jewelry gifts can range from simple rings to elaborate tiaras and necklaces designed for special occasions. Since some exquisitely crafted pieces can far exceed the practicality of purchasing, many jewelers have begun to rent jewelry for the use in special ceremonies and at grand events. However, this has not dissuaded people from continuing to enjoy purchasing and sharing jewelry for all occasions and lifestyles. Whether it is a pendant given to a loved one on a holiday or a beautiful ring set purchase to commemorate a marriage, the world still views jewelry as the hallmark of tribute and acknowledgement.




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