Fashions in Ancient Gold Jewelry

Gold jewelry styles changed dramatically over the years and across continents. In contrast to the widespread use of jewelry among ancient Egyptians, pierced ears did not become common until about 1500 B.C., and the Pharaoh is never shown wearing them. It was common practice for Mycenaeans to wear seal rings or earrings. Gold earrings for women were a popular accessory for both sexes among ancient Greeks. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, wreaths, and diadems were popular for both sexes, while men sported finger rings and wreaths. Necklaces were frequently worn to the very base of the neck, much like a modern choker. The images of Aphrodite and Eros were frequently used in art and architecture. Equally, well-liked was the mythical figure Artemis. The Heracles knot, symbolizing marriage, became popular around 350 B.C. Eastern Greek men were more likely to accessorize with earrings and other jewelry, even though such accessories were seen as feminine in mainland Greece.

By the third and fourth century AD, gold had replaced silver as China's metal of choice for hair accessories. Filigree, granulation, and precious stones adorned these decorations. In China, necklaces were hardly ever worn before to the seventh century AD. Before the middle of the seventh century, Japan had some jewelry made of ceramics and stones, but after that, practically all jewelry was made of hair.

Muslim traders to India in the 9th or 10th century brought the practice of ladies wearing nose rings, but the fashion never caught on in Europe. Most pieces of jewelry from the Middle Ages were intended to be worn as part of an outfit. Men and women alike adorned their attire with a wide variety of jewelry, including brooches, rings, pendants, hat badges, and belt clasps. In the fourteenth century, the ring brooch in the shape of a heart began to be exchanged often as a token of affection. Late 15th-century fashion saw a return to plunging necklines, and with them came the chokers and necklaces made famous in antiquity. Meanwhile, the medieval brooch went out of favor. The use of jewelry such as bracelets and earrings was also seen. Stylish pomanders and miniature prayer books were worn by affluent and nobly-born women, dangling from a belt or sash almost to the ground. In Italy, women's jewelry evolved from a status symbol to an aesthetic complement. Except for their hat jewels, which may be fairly exquisite, early Renaissance men wore very little jewelry. However, gold chains quickly gained popularity among people of both sexes. The stiff renaissance and French court set fashions of Europe were replaced by the more fluid silk fabrics of the Baroque era (17th century).

Rare and colorful stones have been used to adorn gold jewelry almost from the beginning, yet preferences for certain stones have always been subjective. While vividly colored stones, especially lapis lazuli, and carnelian, were very popular in Egypt and Western Asia, they were rarely placed in jewelry during the Bronze and early Iron ages in Europe. Carnelian, amethyst, garnet, lapis, green felspar, jasper, and turquoise were among Egypt's most prized gemstones. Garnets and emeralds were fashionable in Hellenistic Greece, but classical Greek gold rarely features them. Greek jewelers gained access to a wider variety of precious stones after Alexander the Great's conquests, including chalcedonies, carnelians, amethysts, and seed pearls. The Romans and early Byzantines both prized emeralds.

With the conquest of the Hellenistic realm, Rome also began using sapphires and rough diamonds. In the second half of the 14th century, when diamonds were first becoming famous in Europe, the cutting and polishing of diamonds emerged as a unique medieval achievement. From the early 14th century, when sapphires and rubies were in high demand, other gemstones were cut and faceted. In the 15th century, cut stones replaced goldwork as the primary focus of European jewelry. During the 17th century, there was a dramatic increase in both the availability of stones and the sophistication of tools used to cut and polish them.