Designer Jewelry - A History of Jewelry & Design

In the world of designer jewelry - diamond jewelry and sterling silver jewelry in particular - there are traditional jewelry forms that are updated time and again. I find this aspect of designer jewelry interesting and thought it would be an exploration worth pursuing - to understand why history repeats itself in jewelry design, speaking from my 30 years of experience in the jewelry business.

A fan of history, I find its influence on jewelry adornment - particularly from the standpoint of ancient times and styles in Egypt, Greece, India, and around the world - consistently finding its way into modern design.

Current designer jewelry creators on this site have stretched their prowess to include jewelry design from a historical perspective and have done it quite well, including jewelry designer Nava Zahavi. Many of Nava's designs appear to come directly from an era of antiquity, as if the mists of Time parted briefly and Zahavi was able to sculpt and mold her designer jewelry pieces - snapshots from a long-gone world. These creations are characteristically rough in their mold to show a handmade authenticity, similar to a village artisan. The unusual geometric shapes used and the gold wrapping around the gem/centerpiece and accent beads, and finally, the use of sterling silver bands in her rings to finish her jewelry and demonstrating the point of her enduring creations.

They are luxurious, slightly ethnic, and create true old world adornment in these fabulously still-modern designer jewelry pieces.

This brings us to considering sterling silver jewelry and its overall impact on designer jewelry form and function. Sterling Silver is often applied to jewelry to help with affordability for the wearer. Sterling silver is also used as a unifying element that continues the brilliant nature of jewelry throughout the entire piece.

Designer jewelry creator Jane Diaz often uses sterling silver in her jewelry pieces. Jane has an academic background in cultural anthropology - the study of humankind and our many milieus of expressing ourselves through the ages. I think it's fair to say that it's a basic human trait to love jewelry. Jane has captured this nigh-primeval motivation in her pieces reflecting a truly medieval aesthetic. She appropriately uses sterling silver - less regal (just a bit less) than gold but still potent and beautiful.

The etchings in many of her sterling silver jewelry designs truly reflect her studies in anthropology. It's as if there is a meaning to these mysterious cursive ornamentations as in ancient Egyptian or Mayan alphabets, hieroglyphics, or cave wall drawings.

Adornment from past to present is a statement of wealth, influence, or status in designer jewelry. Of course, what better way to achieve this than with shimmering diamond jewelry? The way society perceives the diamond has changed over time. Perhaps this is due to the influence of advertising, the media, and even the film industry. However many incarnations of diamond jewelry can be found today though, initially the diamond was used as an accent point strewn with other gemstones. We can still find this approach in diamond jewelry, as in the bracelet below designed by Elite. It has sumptuous 18K white gold with citrine, amethyst, garnet, topaz, & peridot set in an array of diamonds.

Soon after its original appearance in history, diamond jewelry took its pivotal position in jewelry design as the only gemstone that mattered. This is particularly obvious with the wedding ring - the ultimate token of love and marriage. By today's standards, those who can afford it do not necessarily wait for cherished nuptials to invest in their very own diamond jewelry.

I'll take my hint from history, scrolling back to medieval times when diamond jewelry was worn by nobles into battle. Diamonds were believed to render their owners courageous and fearless. I love this notion all together and can only reflect on my experience with my dear friend Janet - Custom Jewelry. She is someone whom I regard as exactly that - fearless and brave - and her ring with its beveled encasing and use of platinum, 18k gold and diamonds reflects her good taste as well.

Ultimately, I hope you enjoy each and every one of your adornments and the influence of countless ages of history in your designer jewelry choices!

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If you enjoyed my brief history on designer jewelry, please feel free to contact me with your comments or questions. My site is here to help lovers of fine jewelry find just what you're looking for. If you're seeking information, I will gladly reply to your request.