The History of Gold Jewelry, Part 1

kind has long been fascinated by the beauty ofthey were experts in fashioning gold jewelry.
gold and since the earliest days of civilization goldDiadems, hair ornaments, beads, bracelets, and
has been used to adorn us in the form ofcomplex chains have been found in Minoan tombs
jewelry. Let’s take a look at how goldon Crete. It is also believed that Asian techniques
jewelry has been used in the various parts of theof filigree and granulation were introduced to
world during the last five thousand years.Crete around 2000 BC.
The Sumerian Civilization, located in present-dayAround 1550 BC Minoan culture and its jewelry
Iraq, is well known as the place where one of thestyles spread to Greece, then dominated by the
first systems of writing was developed. Therecity-state of Mycenea, located 90 miles
gold was used to make necklaces earrings, rings,southwest of present-day Athens.
bracelets and other ornaments as early as 2500Metalworking techniques spread outward from
BC.Greece and reached northern Europe as early as
Sumerian goldsmiths used sophisticated1800 BC. There is also evidence that the Celtic
metalworking techniques such as cold hammering,and early British people traded with the eastern
casting, soldering, and were particularly skilled inMediterranean civilizations by this time and
decorating with filigree (fine-wire ornamentation).exchanged their products for gold beads.
They also practiced “granulation" usingBy 1200 BC jewelry making was flourishing in
minute drops of gold to enhance the beauty ofCentral and Western Europe.
the jewelry.Bronze and gold was used to make jewelry and
Jewelry played an important role in Egyptianthe spiral was the most common type of
civilization where its use dates back to 3000 BC.decoration. Twisted gold torcs were made in the
A tomb painting of late 15th century BC shows aBritish Isles and northern France from the 5th to
metalworker using tongs and a blowpipe to annealthe 1st century BC. Torcs, also spelled Torq,
gold. The famous tomb of Tutankhamun or Kingwere rigid circular neck rings or necklaces that
Tut contains numerous pieces of fine gold jewelrywere open-ended at the front. Massive circlets for
embedded with precious stones. These pieces ofthe necks and arms were the characteristic
jewelry are on display in the national museum inornament of the chiefs of the Celtic race. The
Cairo and thousands of visitors each day marvelCelts also used enamel and inlay to decorate
at the skill of these early goldsmiths and jewelers.jewelry.
On Mediterranean island of Crete, now part ofIn the next article of this series, I will trace the
Greece, gold jewelry also played an important roleuse of gold jewelry in the Etruscan, Roman and
as early as 2400 BC. The jewelers of Crete mayHellenistic periods as well as giving a look at the
have gotten their knowledge from West Asia androle of gold jewelry in the Renaissance.