THE EVOLUTION OF JEWELRY TECHNIQUES

Jewelry techniques have evolved overwhelmingly from approximately 4,000 years ago to the present day, the tomb of Puabi, important figure among the Sumerians, contained a large number of objects in gold, silver and semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli crowns adorned with small gold figures, necklaces and hair ornaments; in Assyria men and women wore jewelry, including amulets, anklets, necklaces, and seals.

In Mesopotamia jewelry was manufactured from thin sheet metal where a large number of brilliantly colored stones such as agates, lapis lazuli, carnelian and jasper were placed, the favorite shapes being leaves, spirals, cones and bunches of grapes and not just for use. human, also to adorn statues and idols, many sophisticated techniques were used such as engraving, granulation, and filigree and cloisonné enameling, which is a honeycomb enamel for decorating metal objects.

A jewel is an ornamental object for the body, it is generally made with precious stones and metals, although lower value materials can also be used. Any type of material has been used to make jewelry; As for the methods used in silver, gold, and setting, they include forging, casting, welding, cutting, carving, and «cold joints» in which adhesives, fasteners, and rivets are used to join the different parts.

The advances achieved in metallurgy have greatly improved the quality of the traditional tools with which jewelry is worked and the new electrical instruments have collaborated in the precision and speed to carry out many operations, making the finish of the garments much finer. .

Non-metallic jewelry is an improved gemstone thanks to a high quality and exact carving procedure, a good jeweler can increase the value of the raw material, in this case the gemstone, its value is measured by several parameters that depend on the gem, for example in the diamond are the weight, purity, color and size.

Metallic jewelry is made of precious minerals, such as gold, silver and platinum, with which the jeweler or goldsmith transforms the raw material into ornaments such as rings or earrings, its quality is measured in carats in the case of gold, in the Silver is usually always sterling, having a 925/1000 ratio.

In both cases, the tools to be used in the construction and manufacture of these ornaments have been the same for centuries and to date, with the exception described, that it is technology that has managed to intervene in details as important as they are precise to give them to each one the seal of perfection; remember that a jewel is an object that tells a story, allows you to express yourself in detail and goes beyond simple precious stones or metals.

There is currently a trend to use the embroidery technique where beads are sewn on fabric bases and necklaces and bracelets are created; Bead embroidery, was a very popular handiwork in Victorian times, and is enjoying a renaissance in modern jewelry and is popular in many African cultures.