Why are jewelry pendants so culturally iconic?
It is clear that many women wear jewelry pendants for all kinds of reasons. Often they are worn as pieces of ornament to look beautiful. This trend is not confined to recent times but rather from time immemorial. Jewelry has long been associated with women for their personal beautification. The origin probably dates back to ancient times when beads and shells were used as body ornaments, while bones, wood, elephant tusk and ornamental stones were carved and etched to produce attractive artifacts.
Jewelry typically is split into two types – contemporary or traditional. Each has its own unique style and design. Both incorporate fine metals like gold, silver and other metals as well as natural materials and precious gems.
Jewelry has a wide and varied range of uses, from functional to flamboyant and all the way out to being used as status symbols. Nowadays more and better jewelry pendants are being designed by fine craftsmen whose cutting edge skills are creating even more original styles. You can discover stunning items in gold, silver and many other precious metals. Quality gem stones like diamonds are rushing back into the market again in a variety of great designs. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, nose rings, amulets, bangles, anklets … you name it, if they ever went away, you can be sure that jewelry pendants are back!
The jewelry pieces of today are not just made from traditional metals. Today’s jewelry pendants utilize a vast array of materials including everything from wire and tumbled stone to many other lesser known components. They help to make low-cost, inexpensive but super-fashionable items loved by the masses and used widely as accoutrement to embellish their owner`s appearance.
Jewelry pendants are used all over the world. In some places such jewelry is still seen as a form of currency. This demonstrates the wealth and affluence of its owner.
Since ancient times, people have been accumulating jewelry as an expression of their wealth. This still goes on today. This probably originated with the false belief that amassing wealth of fine jewelry will somehow bring security against any economic downturn or other such unforeseeable circumstance.
You can see this today still in the form of wedding ceremonies. In Asian countries the attention continues to center around giving jewelry. Such exchanges of jewelry between the two parties reinforces the belief that jewelry brings security. In many countries, it remains a celebrated practice while in other lands, jewelry, especially ornaments of gold, symbolize a cultural group bonding. In many cultures including those of the west, the wearing of a ring might indicate marital status for their wearer.
Traditionally, the purity of American or European gold is quoted in terms of karats. American gold jewelry has an average of 10K purity. European gold tends to be around 9K. The Middle East, Asia and Africa offer gold jewelry of the highest purity. African gold is often as pure as 22K or 24K. Other precious metals such as platinum can be around 90% and 95% purity.
Items made from glass, enamel, and other such similar natural materials are known as costume jewelry. Such items as necklaces, bangles, earrings, bracelets and belts are also very popular, especially with youngsters. While they have always been a la mode in African countries, necklaces and bracelets have only been popular in the U.S. and Europe since the Victorian Era. Clearly, this trend has spread and it has become very popular all over the world now.
Collectors` items of jewelry pendants have been known to be made from first-class craftsmanship of silversmiths and goldsmiths. Tiaras, jewelry pendants and rings featuring dazzling diamonds have captivated the marketplace for years, especially within the wealthy class. Jewels and gems, besides diamonds, such as emerald, jade, sapphire, ruby and quartz have also been used to create outstandingly attractive jewelry pendants and other jewelry items.
Lynn Watson is a jewelry pendants specialist and a Freelance Writer for http://www.buyjewelrypendants.com providing useful advice and valuable tips for the buying online of jewelry pendants, from heart pendants through heart pendants to religious pendants and so much more.