Why Do We Wear Jewellery?

(Amber beads - first recorded in 460 BC)

Outrage Jewellers have loved designing, making and selling jewellery for over 30 years! It is always exciting to source new stones... and then look at them, appreciate them and finally decide how best to do them justice and create the design to suit the stone. It is also a pleasure to see our customers enjoy looking at the pieces, appreciating the stones and designs. Then the moment of decision arrives and a piece is purchased, often for a loved one or a friend. So that leads us to ask the question, jewellery, we love it,  but why do we wear it?

We did some research and would like to share our findings with you.

It seems Man has always felt the need to adorn the body, either by wearing clothing, tattooing the skin or wearing jewellery. Evidence of artefacts resembling jewellery have been discovered by archaeologists. Some dating back 100,000 years. This simple jewellery was made from leather, reeds, bones, shells, seeds, pebbles.

All Humans have basic needs, food, shelter and clothing. However, as society became more complex and developed beyond the stage of Hunters and Gatherers, people began to grow their food and their basic needs were met, they had time to turn their minds to making and inventing things, also fulfilling their artistic needs. Anyone who could create jewellery was seen as a practical person, implying they were more capable of survival, therefore perhaps a good mate. Wearing jewellery made individuals stand out and perhaps be more attractive.

Eventually, the wearing of jewellery became an expression of Social Status and power. Many stones and metals are quite rare and are difficult to mine, therefore anyone able to possess such items, which are expensive and difficult to acquire, was able to show off their wealth.

Certain stones were claimed to have various powers and so people began to wear jewellery as amulets and talismans to protect them from evil and/or enhance well-being. Turquoise was greatly valued by the Native Americans, whereas Jade has always been held in high esteem by the Chinese.

As society became more complex humans became more self-aware, and jewellery began to take on new meanings. We began to wear jewellery as a symbol of love, a symbol of belonging to a certain group, or as a means of self-expression.

Today, jewellery has been placed within the economic grasp of most people. It is still worn to show wealth and status, but is more often worn to reflect ones personality, or as a symbol of love, friendship and commitment.

So continue to wear and enjoy your jewellery...