Humans have worn jewellery since the dawn of time. This means they’ve been around long enough to produce odd facts that not many people in modern-day society know about.
For instance, do you know when the first piece of jewellery came into being? Do you know what it was used for aside from adornment?
Today, we’re going to explore five facts about jewellery you probably didn’t know about.
Yes, jewellery has been around that long. The first every piece of jewellery is approximately 82,000 years old and comprises a string of beads made from Nassarius shells. Archaeologists speculate it was created to identify the wearer as belonging to a certain tribe or group.
Mekech beetles have been used to make jewellery, particularly pendant, in central and South America. This practice has gone on for centuries and some are still sold in Mexico today. They’re bedecked with rhinestones and have a kind of gold lead on them so they can crawl around on the wearer’s chest. Yikes.
Wedding rings were deemed necessary in Christianity as far back as the ninth century, but did you know that men only started wearing them as recently as the 1900s? It seemed silly to exclude half the population from potential sales, it would seem.
Not all jewellery has been purely for decoration. Even today, our jewels can have a secondary purpose other than making people look nice. Belt buckles and broaches, for instance, carry the purpose of tying things together.
High-quality emeralds, that is. It is a common misconception that diamonds are the most precious jewels in existence. But extremely high-quality emeralds can be much, much more valuable.
Maybe you fancy your own pair of diamond or emerald earrings. Why not take a look at what we’ve got in our store and see for yourself?
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