Jewelry cool-to-know curiosities and facts

From Egyptian to African or medieval, jewelry has always had a special place in human history. As decorative elements with a symbolism that goes beyond, jewelry made with shells, stones, bones or metals have existed since prehistoric times, accompanying the human species from the stone age to the present day. This eternal journey delights us with mystery and curiosities that are astonishing. Let's discover a few:

Let's start by talking about the wedding ring, which has its own history. The tradition of giving an engagement ring to the fiancée finds its origin in Maximilian of Austria in 1477, who gave Mary of Burgundy a masterfully crafted ring as a promise of their love and marriage. Of course, Maximiliano could never imagine that his gesture would become a tradition and even less that it would remain in time until today.

If we talk about wedding rings, we think of prominent diamonds. And if we think about size, we are talking about the Cullinan diamond, which was the largest gem ever found. This 3,000 carat, half pound masterpiece of nature was found in South Africa in 1905. It was named after its discoverer, Thomas Cullinan, president of the mine where it was found. It was handed over to King Edward VII, and is on display today in the Tower of London Museum as part of the Crown Jewels.

Thought of ancient stories, amber comes to mind, a stone that carries within more than you think. It is made thanks to the fossilization of tree sap for more than 30 million years. This is why some of the most precious amber stones have prehistoric insects inside them. They are not only semi-precious stones but sometimes also carry archaeological discoveries. To wear an amber jewel is to wear a piece of history.

And from one stone we go to another, the pearl. Why? Because in this dissertation of curiosities it is worth commenting that it’s the only organic gemstone that comes from a living animal: the oyster. Some of the most important pearls in the world are known as the Marie Antoinette pearls, which also have another record: her pearl necklace was sold by Sotheby's for $32 million, the highest price ever reached for a pearl item.

We cannot forget Ancient Egypt, where jewels were considered an amulet that protected them from evil, since as is known, many pieces had the gods present in themselves and they became powerful amulets to fight against bad energies.

Thinking back to ancient times, we have to talk about the ancient Chinese culture, where the obsession and love for silver and jade had no limits. Jade is related to durability and beauty, personal qualities highly valued in Chinese culture. These items were used to make eternal amulets and utensils.

True story: something new can be learned every day. We will continue to collect stories from the afterlife.
See you in the next article!