What is jewelry? By definition, it's a personal adornment worn anywhere on the body. It's usually made from some precious material or gemstones, and has been around since the earliest known stages of human existence - recently, tiny Nassarius shells were found with beading drill holes, dating to 100,000 years ago!



What's the point of jewelry? Jewelry has had many uses throughout history, ranging from symbolic meaning, to use as currency, to protective charms, to simply being worn as a statement of social status in a community. Although in the past many types of jewelry were used as functional items, as the pieces grew more elaborate, jewelry grew to have more of an aesthetic purpose, which is what most modern jewelry wearers would cite as their reason for wearing jewelry today.

It was in the late 1940s, after the end of World War II, that jewelry as an artistic and aesthetic pursuit began to take foothold in the general public. Since life could finally be enjoyed again without the ravages of war, artistic pursuits flourished ' and at the forefront of this? Wearable art!

For those who may not be entirely familiar with all the different kinds of jewelry available today, here's an easy breakdown of the major kinds of jewelry that you probably see on a daily basis:

Head

Earrings: an earring is a piece of jewelry worn on the ear, typically on the earlobe or outer cartilage. Earrings are worn by both men and women, and can be made from metal, plastic, beads, or other precious gems. Earrings take an innumerable amount of styles and shapes, and are worn all over the world. In some tribal cultures, ear piercing is a required part of initiation rituals.

Neck

Necklace: a necklace is a piece of jewelry worn around the neck, and can be made from metal, plastic, bone, fabric, even gems or shells. They are generally worn loose around the neck, and those that are higher and tighter on the neck are referred to as chokers. There are many different kinds of necklaces, each with their own sub-category, however it is enough to know that necklaces are typically used as adornments to complement one's attire ' even many indigenous cultures have their own distinctive necklace styles that are part of their traditional dress!

Arms

Bracelet: a bracelet is similar to a necklace, but much smaller and worn around the wrist. While typically decorative like a necklace, bracelets can also be used to identify people with medical conditions, or given to patrons as temporary passes to an event. In countries such as India, the number of bracelets worn by a woman indicates her marital status, while some ancient bracelets were worn in the belief that they could ward off evil spirits.

Hand

Ring: a ring can be worn around the finger on either hand, and is the type of jewelry which tends to have the most symbolic associations. In Western culture, women wear diamond rings on the third finger of their left hand when engaged to be married, and after marriage, both men and women wear a metal band on this same finger to indicate marital status. Other symbolic rings include graduating class rings, chastity rings, and traditional Irish Claddagh rings. Ring-wearing spans all generations, cultures, and history, and rings are made from any and all kinds of material: iron, fabric, bone, plastic, and so on.

Body

Brooch: a brooch is a decorative ornament which is attached to an article of clothing for aesthetic purposes. They are often elaborate designs made with gemstones and metalwork, though it has become more common to see brooches made of just metal, in the shapes of animals, flowers, children, or endearing words. Ancient cultures used a type of brooch called a fibula, which was typically used to hold the corners of a garment together. Over time, these fibula became more and more elaborate, which probably gave rise to the modern style of brooch.