The Pearl Jewelry Blog

Since nearly the dawn of time jewelry has played a very important role in fashion. Typically speaking, jewelry is what tops off the outfit that you are wearing. Whether you add a lot or just one simple piece, the jewelry that you wear accents your clothing in a way that nothing else can.

The visual impact is a very important element of fashionable jewelry and what designers always have in mind when they are creating the pieces of jewelry that we see. Simplicity and elegance are also important when choosing jewelry and are trends that have never gone out of style in the fashion world.

The jewelry that we see and wear today has changed significantly over the past few years for both men and women alike. A more classy and elegant look that is comfortable as well as stylish is becoming more and more popular in the fashion world.

As fashion changes each season, so does the jewelry that accompanies it. With the many developments in technology over the past few decades the jewelry market has become increasingly popular. With faster equipment, jewelry can now be cut and designed much more efficiently and given a much more delicate and sophisticated look than ever before.

If you keep up with the fashion industry then you will notice the delicate pieces that are worn by models when they hit the runways with the new Spring or Fall lines. Jewelry plays an important role in fashion even during the creation phase.

Due to the efficiency of jewelry making today, costume jewelry has made its resurrection into the fashion world. Along with this have also come many new and more durable metals which provide many more options for those wearing them. No longer is pure gold the metal of choice.

There are now other metals such as platinum and titanium that are very beautiful and are far less expensive in many cases. This gives jewelry lovers the opportunity to add to their jewelry wardrobe and have many choices of what to wear with different clothing.

Designers are using these new metals to craft ornaments that are typically worn with gold. These pieces are highly popular and give much needed accents for many otherwise bland or even boring clothing ensembles.

Changes in the fashion industry will definitely have an impact on the jewelry styles and designs that we see. Looking over the past few decades, we can see that each time a new clothing style becomes popular a new jewelry style is introduced as well. Trends in the jewelry market change rapidly as they will reflect the ideals of fashion at a specific moment in time. Brooches and illuminating earrings have become a popular choice once again.

Just as fashion is often resurrected, so are jewelry designs. If you will notice, the clothing styles of the 1950s and 1960s made quite a comeback recently. Jewelry designs from these eras were reintroduced as well. Keeping up with the fashion industry in general will give you some idea as to where the jewelry industry is heading as well. Just as the stones in jewelry which are predominant have changed, other aspects have changed as well. It is a continuous circle. Jewelry trends set the stage for different fashions with their individual styles and designs just as clothing styles do for the fashion world.

The two are virtually synonymous. One works with the other to produce a look that works. Whether you are typically someone who enjoys wearing large and overbearing jewelry, or you prefer a more delicate and feminine approach, it is likely that your choice of jewelry and your taste of clothing are highly similar in design, style, size and even color selections.

By Steve Hill

The word jewelry is derived from Latin word jocale, means plaything. But it is the most ancient form of body ornamentation. In ancient times, jewelry was used to be made from bone, animal teeth, shells, wood, carved stones, etc. A specific piece was made for each part of the body.

Apart from functional use, jewelry was a symbol of wealth, status and membership. It had been used to move wedding dowries, to keep large amount of wealth or to just for artistic display.

With the growing influx of designer or art jewelry, people not only love to wear it but also don’t mind spending lavishly on it. Such designs are made with coins, gemstones, precious stones, etc. and they are set into precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, or white gold. These days most of the gold jewelry is made of an alloy of gold, stating its purity in karat by displaying a number followed by K.

American gold jewelry are of 10 K which is 41.7% gold. Higher purity levels are 22K which is 91.6 % pure and 24K which is 99.9% pure and these levels are used in Asia, Middle East and Africa. For silver jewelry, silver sterling or 92.5% fine silver is used. Besides, the low-priced jewelry is also available. Such jewelries are made with glass, semiprecious stones, wood, shells, bone, ivory,etc. Beads, made of glass, gemstones, metals, clay, polymer clay and wood, are also used to make bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings.

Among the precious stones, diamonds are said to be the best friends of women. There are other gemstones also like amethyst, ruby, emerald, etc. These gemstones are set into gold, silver and platinum with different techniques to get different finishing such as high-polished or matt.

Brushed finishing gives jewelry a soft look, while hammered finishing gives a wavy texture. Jewelry posed different significance for different cultures. Like in Rome, people with certain ranks were allowed to wear rings. In other case, during 19th and 20th centuries, wearing of earrings by men was considered effeminate.

According to recent culture, piercing of body and wearing rings there has become a symbol of courage, while other cultures are against it. Wearing of jewelry has got religious importance too. According to Hinduism, married women should wear necklace of golden and black beads, whereas in Islam, men should wear gold.

The history of jewelry dates back to thousands of years. The first signs of jewelry were found, 40,000 years back, in Cro-Magnons who originated from Middle East and migrated to Europe. They used to make jewelry with bones, teeth, stone hung etc. Copper jewelry traces back to 7000 years. In ancient Egypt, jewelry making is 3000- 5000 years old.

They preferred gold to other materials and used colored glass in place of gems. Then the signs of jewelry found in other places too like Mesopotamia, Greece, Italy, India, and China and all over.

The trend of modern jewelry started in 1940s at the end of World War II. George Jensen and other designers propogated the idea of wearable jewelry using different materials like Precious Metal Clay, plastics, semi precious stones, and coloring techniques. Artisans also played important role in setting trends in jewelry. Now the jewelry designing has become a source of money and to satisfy the passion of art.

According to recent studies, American market holds the largest place with a market share of 30.8%, Japan, India and China and the Middle East each with 8 - 9% and finally Italy with 5%. Also it is predicted that there will be dramatic change in the statistics of market share by 2015, having India and China in the topmost position.

By Roberto Sedycias