| Jewelery (or jewellry) has been in existence for | | | | jewelery people can appear quirky, stylish, |
| many centuries, made initially from such natural | | | | out-going, introverted or indeed conventional. |
| materials as bone, shell, wood, animal teeth and | | | | Like any fashion item, jewelery can give two |
| carved stone. Whilst originally some such items | | | | contradictory messages: |
| may have had a more functional purpose, but | | | | 1. "I want to fit in with what everybody else is |
| later evolved into more decorative items. | | | | wearing". |
| So why wear jewelery? It may seem a strange | | | | 2. "I want to stand out and be different from |
| question to ask, but worth asking nevertheless. | | | | everybody else". |
| Clearly, through the ages as jewelery evolved to | | | | In order to meet the ever growing desire for |
| incorporate precious metals and gems, it | | | | new and different jewelery, some designers have |
| increasingly became a means of indicating status. | | | | scoured the world for inspiration. Fashion trends at |
| For the more wealthy amongst us this continues | | | | different times have favoured jewelery from the |
| to be the case. For these people it is a matter of | | | | continents of Africa, Asia and South America, as |
| wearing jewelery with a high intrinsic value | | | | well as Native American people. These trends |
| incorporating high value gems. This jewelery | | | | have helped allowed jewelery wearers to meet |
| clearly says to the world "I have lots of money!". | | | | these contradictory demands of being |
| Diamonds may be a girl's best friend for the | | | | simultaneously the same as other people and yet |
| wealthy, but for the rest of us, jewelery can give | | | | different and distinctive. |
| a number of messages to the world. Through | | | | |