Jewellery

Jewellery, also spelled jewelry in American English, refers to decorative pieces worn to adorn the body or clothing. Common examples include brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. In Western traditions, the term typically applies only to durable ornaments, so items like fresh flowers are not considered jewellery. For centuries, precious metals such as gold and silver, often paired with gemstones, have been the standard materials, though glass, shells, and wood are also used.

Archaeologically, jewellery ranks among the oldest human artifacts. The earliest known examples are beads made from Nassarius shells, dating back roughly 100,000 years.

Jewellery can be crafted from many materials: gemstones, amber, coral, precious metals, beads, shells, and enamel are all common. In many cultures, it serves as a status symbol, reflecting the wearer’s material wealth, social position, or meaningful symbols. Nearly every body part has been adorned, from hairpins to toe rings and even genital jewellery. In modern European culture, adult men wear relatively little jewellery compared to other cultures or earlier European periods. Pieces designed to be worn continuously, without a clasp or opening, are called permanent jewellery.

**Etymology** The word “jewellery” comes from “jewel,” which was adapted from the Old French “jouel,” ultimately tracing back to the Latin “jocale,” meaning a plaything. Spelling varies by region: “jewellery” is standard in British, Indian, New Zealand, Hiberno-, Australian, and South African English, while “jewelry” is used in American English. Canadian English accepts both, with “jewellery” appearing about twice as often. In French and some other European languages, the equivalent term “joaillerie” can also include decorated metalwork in precious metal, such as objets d’art and church items, not just personal ornaments.

**Form and Function** People have worn jewellery for many reasons: to fasten clothing or hair, to mark social or personal status (like a wedding ring), to show ethnic, religious, or social affiliation, for talismanic protection (as amulets), as artistic expression, or to carry personal meaning—such as love, mourning, milestones, or luck. Many cultures store wedding dowries in jewellery or use it to store or display coins. Jewellery has also served as currency or trade goods, such as slave beads.

Some items, like brooches and buckles, began as purely functional objects but became decorative as their practical use faded. Similarly, Tiffany & Co. made inkwells in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, combining enamel and fine metals with the same craftsmanship used in their jewellery. Jewellery can signify group membership, such as a Christian crucifix or a Jewish Star of David, or status, like chains of office or wedding rings. Amulets and devotional medals are worn in some cultures for protection or to ward off evil, taking forms like symbols (the ankh), stones, plants, animals, body parts (the Khamsa), or glyphs (stylised versions of the Throne Verse in Islamic art).

**Materials and Methods** Gemstones, coins, or other precious items are often set into precious metals. Platinum alloys range from 900 (90% pure) to 950 (95% pure). Silver used in jewellery is usually sterling silver, or 92.5% fine silver. Costume jewellery sometimes uses stainless steel findings. Other common materials include glass (fused-glass or enamel), carved or turned wood, shells, bone, ivory, natural clay, polymer clay, and hemp or other twines for a natural look. Any inclusion of lead or lead solder gives the British Assay office—the body that hallmarks UK jewellery—the right to destroy the piece, though this is rarely done.

Beads are widely used, made from glass, gemstones, metal, wood, shells, clay, or polymer clay. Beaded jewellery includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, belts, and rings. The smallest beads, called seed beads, are used for woven styles and for embroidery sewn onto fabric to create broad collars and bracelets. Bead embroidery was popular during the Victorian era and has seen a revival in modern jewellery making. Beading is also common in many African and Indigenous North American cultures.

Silversmiths, goldsmiths, and lapidaries employ methods such as forging, casting, soldering or welding, cutting, carving, and cold-joining (using adhesives, staples, and rivets to assemble parts).

**Diamonds** Diamonds were first mined in India. Pliny may have mentioned them, though scholars debate the exact stone he called Adamas. By 2005, major sources of gemstone diamonds included Australia, Botswana, Russia, and Canada. There are negative aspects to the diamond trade.