Jewellery facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Jewellery (or jewelry) means small, pretty things people wear to decorate themselves. These can be brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. You can wear jewellery on your body or attach it to your clothes. It's usually made from strong materials, so things like fresh flowers aren't usually called jewellery.

An eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt princess's crown

A jewelled clasp with an eagle design from Bohemia, made in the 14th century.

Royal earrings from India, dating back to the 1st Century BC.

For a long time, jewellery has often been made from metal, usually with sparkling gemstones. But people also use other materials like shells or parts of plants. Jewellery is one of the oldest things found by archaeologists. The oldest known pieces are 100,000-year-old beads made from Nassarius shells!

The basic shapes of jewellery are different in various cultures, but they often last for a very long time. In European cultures, common types like rings and necklaces have been around since ancient times. Other types, like nose or ankle ornaments, are very important in some cultures but less common in Europe.

Jewellery can be made from many different things. Gemstones like amber and coral are popular. Precious metals, beads, and shells are also widely used. Enamel, which is like a colourful glass coating, has also been important.

In most cultures, jewellery can show a person's social status. This can be because of the materials it's made from, its designs, or special symbols it carries. Jewellery has been made to decorate almost every part of the body, from hairpins to toe rings. How much jewellery men, women, and children wear can be very different across cultures. However, adult women have always worn jewellery consistently. In modern European culture, men wear much less jewellery compared to other cultures or past times in Europe.

Why People Wear Jewellery
A Look Back: The History of Jewellery
Common Types of Jewellery
Images for kids
See also

Why People Wear Jewellery

A Spanish emerald and gold pendant at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

People have worn jewellery for many different reasons throughout history:

To be useful: Sometimes, jewellery helps hold clothes or hair in place.
To show status: It can show a person's social status or personal situation, like a wedding ring shows someone is married.
To show belonging: Jewellery can show you belong to a certain group, like a family, religion, or club. Examples include a Christian crucifix or a Jewish Star of David.
For protection: Some people wear amulets or devotional medals for good luck or to keep bad things away. These can be symbols like the ankh, special stones, or even parts of the body like the Khamsa.
As art: Jewellery can simply be a beautiful piece of art to display.
To carry meaning: It can hold special personal meaning, like showing love, remembering someone, or even bringing luck.

Many cultures have also used jewellery to store wealth. For example, some cultures keep wedding dowries (gifts given at a wedding) as jewellery. Jewellery has also been used as a form of money or something to trade.

Some jewellery items, like brooches and buckles, started out as useful things. But over time, as their practical use became less important, they turned into decorative items.

A Look Back: The History of Jewellery

A Roman Amethyst intaglio (engraved gem) from around 212 AD. It was later thought to be of St. Peter.

The history of jewellery is very long, going back thousands of years! Different cultures have used it in many ways. Studying ancient jewellery helps us understand how people lived long ago.

Jewellery can be made from almost any material. The very first jewellery was made from things like bones, animal teeth, wood, or stone. Today, jewellery often uses sparkling gemstones and precious metals like gold and silver.

Sometimes, you might hear about fashion jewellery or costume jewellery. This type of jewellery is worn just for fashion and is not made from expensive materials.

Common Types of Jewellery

Here are some common types of jewellery people wear:

Earrings: These are any pieces of jewellery worn on the ears.
Necklaces: Worn around the neck.
Rings: These include finger rings (usually just called "rings") and toe rings.
Bracelets or bangles: Worn on the wrists.
Arm rings or armlets: Worn on the upper arms.
Pins or Brooches: Worn on clothes for decoration or to keep clothes fastened.
Piercings: This is jewellery that is put through small holes made in the skin.

Images for kids

A gold, diamonds and sapphires red guilloché enamel "Boule de Genève", which is a type of pendant watch for women. It's an example of something that is useful, artistic, shows social status, or has personal meaning.
A beautiful hair ornament, an Art Nouveau masterpiece by René Lalique, from around 1902. It's made of gold, emeralds, and diamonds.
Diamonds
A diamond solitaire engagement ring.
An example of gold-plated jewellery.
A Khmissa amulet made of silver.
Some of the oldest golden items in the world, found in the Varna necropolis. These were grave offerings on display at the Varna Archaeological Museum.
A headdress decorated with golden leaves, from 2600–2400 BC. It's made of gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian.
An openwork hairnet from 300–200 BC, made of gold.
The Great Cameo of France, from the early 1st century AD. It's a large carving on five layers of sardonyx.
A Byzantine necklace from the late 6th–7th century, made in a Constantinopolitan workshop. It features gold, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and pearls.
A cameo from the 16th century, carved from sardonyx.
A Russian earring from the 19th century, made of silver, enamel, and red glass beads.
A breastplate with peacocks by René Lalique, from around 1898–1900. It's made of gold, enamels, opals, and diamonds.
A necklace showing Shiva's family, from the late 19th century. It's gold inlaid with rubies, a diamond, Rudraksha beads, and a silver clasp.
Moche ear jewellery from the 3rd–7th century, made of gold, turquoise, sodalite, and shell.
Bai-De-Schluch-A-Ichin, also known as Be-Ich-Schluck-Ich-In-Et-Tzuzzigi (Slender Silversmith), a Navajo silversmith, photographed in 1883.
A modern design of gold and gemstone jewellery.
A male hand wearing modern silver rings, one with a tribal pattern.
Indian actress Shraddha Kapoor showing off modern Indian-style jewellery.
Different types of masonic collar jewels.
A Padaung girl in Northern Thailand wearing neck rings.
The Oulun Koru jewellery shop on Kirkkokatu street in Oulu, Finland.
Jade
Jasper
Sapphire
Turquoise
A string of beads from 3650–3100 BC, made by Naqada II or Naqada III cultures. It features lapis lazuli (blue beads) and travertine (white beads).
A string of beads from 3300–3100 BC, made by Naqada III culture. It includes carnelian, garnet, quartz, and glazed steatite.
An armlet with a sun symbol from the late Bronze Age (16th-13th century BC), made of bronze.
A necklace, probably from 2600–1300 BC, found at Saruq Al Hadid in the United Arab Emirates. It's made of carnelian, bone, and stone.
A pectoral (chest jewellery) belonging to Tutankhamun, from 1336–1327 BC. It's made of gold, silver, and meteoric glass.
A pendant from around 1069 BC, made of gold and turquoise.
A signet ring from 664–525 BC, made of gold.
A pectoral and necklace belonging to Princess Sithathoriunet, from 1887–1813 BC. It features gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, garnet, and feldspar.
Sumerian necklace beads from 2600–2500 BC, made of gold and lapis lazuli.
A necklace from 2600–2500 BC, found at the Royal Cemetery at Ur (Iraq). It's made of gold and lapis lazuli.
A pair of earrings with cuneiform inscriptions, from 2093–2046 BC, made of gold.
Sumerian necklaces and headgear found in the royal graves of the Royal Cemetery at Ur, showing how they might have been worn.
The Bee Pendant, an iconic Minoan jewel from 1700–1600 BC, found at Chrysolakkos (gold pit) complex at Malia. It's made of gold.
A Mycenaean necklace from 1400–1050 BC, made of gilded terracotta.
The Ganymede Jewellery from around 300 BC, made of gold.
The Vulci set of jewelry from the early 5th century, made of gold, glass, rock crystal, agate, and carnelian.
An earring shaped like a dolphin from the 5th century BC, made of gold.
A Bulla (a type of locket) with Daedalus and Icarus from the 5th century BC, made of gold.
An earring made of gold and silver.
A cameo portrait of the Emperor Augustus from 41–54 AD, carved from sardonyx.
A bracelet from the 1st–2nd century AD, made of gold-mounted crystal and sardonyx.
A necklace with a medallion showing a goddess, from 30–300 AD. It's made of green glass and gold.
An openwork hairnet with the head of Medusa from 200–300 AD, made of gold.
The Eagle-shaped fibulae of Alovera from the 5th century, found in Guadalajara (Spain). They are made of gold, bronze, and glass.
Shoulder-clasps from Sutton Hoo from the early 7th century, made of gold, glass, and garnet.
The front of a temple pendant with two birds next to a tree of life, from the 11th–12th century. It was made in Kyiv (Ukraine) using cloisonné enamel and gold.
The Dragonfly brooch by René Lalique, from around 1897–1898. It's made of gold, vitreous enamel, chrysoprase, chalcedony, moonstone, and diamond.
A necklace by René Lalique from 1897–1899, made of gold, enamel, opals, and amethysts.
The Snakes brooch by René Lalique, made of gold and enamel.
A hair ornament, an Art Nouveau masterpiece by René Lalique, from around 1902. It's made of gold, emeralds, and diamonds.
A fluted ring with a dragon head (huan) from around 475 BC, made of jade (nephrite).
An ornament with flowers and grapes design from 1115–1234, made of jade.
Xin 心 shaped jewellery from 1368–1644, found in Dingling (Beijing, China). It's made of gold, ruby, pearl, and other gemstones.
A hat ornament from the 18th–19th century, made of gold, gilded metal, kingfisher feathers, glass, and semiprecious stones.
A pendant, possibly showing a Siddha, from the 8th–9th century, made of copper alloy.
An earring showing Vishnu riding Garuda, from around 1600, from Nepal. It's gold set with jewels and semi-precious stones.
An earring showing four-armed Vishnu riding Garuda with Nagas (serpent divinities), from around 1600, from Nepal. It's repousse gold with pearls.
A comb showing Vishnu adored by serpents, from 1750–1800, from Nepal. It's made of ivory with traces of paint.
An Olmec seated shaman in a ritual pose-shaped pendant from 9th–5th century BC, made of serpentine and cinnabar.
A pair of Maya earflare frontals from the 3rd–6th century, made of jade (jadeite).
A pendant with two bat-head warriors carrying spears, from the 11th–16th century. It's made of gold and found in the Chiriqui Province (Panama).
A Double-headed serpent from 1450–1521, made of Spanish cedar wood, turquoise, shell, and traces of gilding.
A Māori hei-tiki from 1500–1800, from New Zealand. It's made of jade (nephrite), abalone shell, and pigments.
A Hei-tiki from the 18th century, from New Zealand. It's made of nephrite and haliotis shell.
A Hawaiian pendant from the 18th–19th century, made of whalebone.

Jewellery facts for kids

Contents

Why People Wear Jewellery

A Look Back: The History of Jewellery

Common Types of Jewellery

Images for kids

See also