Jewelry has been one of the major obsessions with women and men since times immemorial. It mainly refers to ornaments that have used to adorn their bodies, such as necklace, ring or bracelet, gemstones, precious metals (like gold, silver, pearl, and platinum) and a host of other forms.

Jewelry - Origin, History, and Purpose

The word 'jewelry' is said to have originated in different ways by different sources. While some say that it has been derived from the word 'jewel' which is an anglicized version of an Old French word 'jouel', others are of the opinion that it comes from Jews, who are said to be the ones who introduced it as an ornament. The origin can even be traced back to the times when it was made of bone, animal teeth, shell, wood, carved stone and even 100,000 year-old beads of Nassarius shells.

However, the purpose of owning jewelry has remained more or less the same all through. Apart from being materials for ornamentation and decoration, they have served as mediums of wealth, storage, and for pinning clothes together. With the passage of times, expensive materials started to replace the 'natural products', which made it a medium of valuating possessions. Even after the advent of coinage as mediums of exchange, people continued to use jewelry as mediums of storage, which they could convert to coins and currency (in modern age) as and when required.