The Art of Jewelry

Jewelry is an item of personal adornment, such as a necklace, ring, brooch or bracelet, that is worn by a person.

The first pieces of jewelry were made from natural materials, such as bone, animal teeth, shell, wood and carved stone. While high-quality jewelry is made with gemstones and precious metals, such as silver or gold, there is also a growing demand for art jewellery where design and creativity is prized above material value.

In creating jewelry, gemstones, coins, or other precious items are used, and they are typically set into gold, white gold, platinum, palladium, titanium or silver.

Other commonly used materials include glass, such as fused-glass or enamel; wood, often carved or turned; shells and other natural animal substances such as bone and ivory; natural clay; polymer clay; and even plastics. Hemp and other twines have been used as well to create jewelry that has more of a natural feel. Beads are frequently used in jewelry. These may be made of glass, gemstones, metal, wood, shells, clay and polymer clay.