History of Custom Jewellery
Jewelleries have been a part of our culture since the start of the human civilization. But have you ever wondered what does jewellery actually mean? From where does the word jewellery came? This came up from the Latin word ‘jocale’ which means ‘plaything’. Humans love to be adorned by jewellery. Upon tracing the divine history of jewellery, we found it fascinating as well as surprising. It embarks its history as same as the starting of the human civilization and cultural evolution. Beads made from Nassarius shells, is believed to be oldest jewellery in history while Perforated shells are considered as oldest form of jewellery, dating back over 100,000 years. Custom Jewelleries, in particular, are special kind of jewellery, allowing us to transform our dreams into reality, showcase our individuality and personality and it holds a special place in our hearts as well as in the history. Journey of custom jewellery marks its commencement from Neolithic Age (Stone Age) where homo sapiens adorn themselves from beads and other ornaments. Custom Jewellery is still relevant and highly popular in contemporary world too as it possesses lots of advantages and benefits. Let’s dive deep into the long yet rich history of custom jewellery to experience an adventurous tale.
Basically, the history of custom jewellery is divided into various parts from Stone Age to Modern Era. History of Custom Jewellery
- Ancient Origin – The roots of custom jewellery can be traced from stone age when the Neolithic Revolution started as new elements were getting discovered. People started wearing beads and other elements to adorn their beauty. This was the time when jewelleries gained recognition among human beings as an element to beautify themselves. With substantial shift in use of materials and some technological development, custom jewellery became more sophisticated by the time of Ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greek and Romans. Ancient Egyptians used to wore intricate gold and precious gemstone jewellery to showcase their status symbol. Mesopotamians culture reflected their creativity with stunning designs in specific gemstones like lapis lazuli and carnelian. While Greeks, being spiritual – centred culture and inspired by mythology, celebrated their gods and goddess in form of delicately engraved pieces in jewellery. Romans, as usual, flaunted their power and wealth to the world in form of customized jewellery.
- Medieval Era – This era was marked as flourishing for customised jewellery as new techniques like filigree and enamelling were developed and more precious gemstones got discovered. Customised Jewellery became more popular among European nobility, often used to reflect their ancestory and position they hold in society. Skilled goldsmiths and craftsmen produced masterpieces adorned with intricate designs, engravings and lustrous gemstones. It was meant for wealthy and was a kind of luxury to own customised pieces in this era. These jewelleries marked as a symbol of rank, love, royalty, religious devotion (as being a religious icon) and personal power.
- Era of Renaissance – The word Renaissance itself means rebirth or renew. This time – period in history of Europe was marked as transition from middle ages to modernity. Renaissance Era is often regarded as Golden Age of customised jewellery, as it marked its journey to become personalised jewellery from customised one. This era renowned the definition of customised jewellery. Major changes were noticed in designs with enhancement of technology like diamond – cutting wheel and craftsmanship skills. Personalised adornments became integral part of people’s lives as customised pieces reflected their personality and celebrated their achievements. Jewellery designs came up with exquisite and exceptional craftsmanship with symbolism and hidden meanings. Pieces from this period often featured motifs, along with intricate designs and floral patterns. Lockets and rings were introduced as a new category.
- Victorian Era (An Era of Romanticism) – Spanning around 1837 – 1914, this era is slanted towards the sentiments and emotions. Queen Victoria’s love for jewellery, History of Custom Jewellery sparked a trend about personalised jewellery. Victorian Era is totally dedicated towards emotions, love and affection. It marked popularity in use of birth gemstones and particular motifs like hearts, crosses and flowers. People served personalised jewellery as a memento of love, remembrance and protection to their loved ones. Jewellery crafted in this era, highly contained sentimental value. Romanticism was at its peak in this era, jewellery gained its importance in lover’s life.
- Late 19th century – This time period marked relative decline in the popularity of the bespoke pieces as mass produced jewellery came into existence which became highly affordable, but personalised jewelleries remained popular among wealthy for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, etc. Along with this development, new techniques also bloomed like flowering lines, floral motifs, use of natural elements. Use of geometric shapes, bold colours, and streamlined designs got incorporated as a technique in manufacturing of customised pieces.
- Modern / Contemporary Era – This era embarked its journey from 20th century to present – day in 21st century. With lots of technical advancements and numerous developments, this time period is witnessing huge resurgence in demand of personalised pieces. It has become more accessible to wider range of audience. Revolutionary technologies like CAD ( computer – aided design ) and 3-D printing technique have emerged which helps customers in generating the complete overview for their bespoke piece. This revolution has completely changed the process of making of bespoke piece. With advent of internet, many jewellery brands has now came up online and created their own platform to showcase the individuals their existing designs and allow them to get in contact with designers to create their own customised, unique and one of a kind piece for themselves that reflects their individuality and personality. Advancement of technology has given freedom to the customers to book their design online, even without crossing borders and moving out of their comfort zone. In the world of fleeting trends, customised jewelleries stands at forefront in current world which present customers with delightful pieces for adorning themselves and their loved ones.
Conclusion
We hope that upon tracing the enchanted tale of custom jewellery, you must be feeling delighted about the custom jewellery and legacy they carry. From ancient times to contemporary world, we have seen that, customised pieces never goes out of style, it always lies in the trend. Although the techniques get evolved, but the craze and affection for customised jewellery will never get extinct. With skilled artisans and craftsmen, dreams get their way to become reality and custom jewellery continues to shine.
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