Fine silver jewelry has enriched our neighborhood folklore for long. The earliest traces of silver jewelry can be traced to the Sumerian people who lived around 3000 BC. Silver has been a timeless treasure since time immemorial. Silver jewelry has symbolized religion, cult worship, mysterious peace and a sublime harmony. It has been called the white gold and the lunar metal. Sterling silver, too, like its parent metal has enamored and dazzled those who have loved it.
This article intends to traverse the journey of fine silver jewelry through the ages of human civilization. This timeline will prove beyond any doubt the timelessness of silver jewelry and dispel any allegations of it being a fickle fad.
The earliest remnants of silver jewelry were found at the excavation sites of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur. These jewels date back to around 3000BC. The silver deposits at the mines around Anatolia(modern day Turkey) were also found at this point of time. The Chaldeans of around 2500BC were the first people who were able to extract silver from ores of other metals. Evidences from ancient cultures of North and South America at around 1000 BC show advanced silversmith techniques among the tribes.
At around 900 BC the Larium mines near Athens were discovered. The silver from these mines sufficed the silvery needs of the ancient Greeks and Romans for the next 1000 years. At around 200 BC the Chinese immigrants to Korea brought their silver techniques to Korea and Japan. But, unfortunately in Japan silver never gained much popularity.
Ancient Egyptians alloyed silver with mystery. Silver was worn by both men and women as amulets, pendants, charms and elaborate ornaments. Silver was used to make special ornament called cartouche. It was essentially a pendant worn with a necklace, in which mysterious hieroglyphics were inscribed. These amulets were worn through infancy through death. It had special importance alongside gold and had mysterious significance for the afterlife.
At 1st century AD instances of silverware were found in the Indian subcontinent. Silverwork attained importance in China by 600 AD. At around 900AD fine silver techniques have reached the Oaxaca region of Mexico. At around 1000AD Spanish mines began to be important sources of silver. These mines supplied silver to the eastern European regions of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Between 1500 to 1800 huge amount of silver was exploited by European exploiters, from the Latin American countries of Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. An interesting trend came into vogue in 17th century New York, when natives of Seneca, Iroquois, Cayuga and Onodaga tribes melted European silver coins to make fine silver jewelry. In the 17th and 18th century Silver was widely used in India and China.
The 19th and 20th centuries also witnessed major developments in the silver industry. Electroplating was invented at this time. In America, by 1870s the Zuni tribesmen became master silver artisans. This knowledge was passed onto them by the Navajo tribes, who, themselves had learnt the artistry from Mexican tribes. In England, Queen Victoria revived a new 'aesthetic period' at around the same time. Old Celtic motifs were remodeled in silver. This period lasted until her death in 1901. The 20th century witnessed the Art and Crafts movement from 1894 to 1923, when silver assumed important significance. The Art nouveau period (1890-1915) coincided with the art and crafts movement and new ideas were incorporated in silver designing.During the world wars, Europe lost much of its silver and the American artisans became more popular. The rising dominance of American Pop culture also added to the fine silver jewelry of the period.
Sarah Carnagie is a silver jewelry lover, and DreamlandJewelry.com's head of quality assurance for Fine Silver Jewelry. You can find more info on sterling silver and Sterling Silver Chains by visiting the web's largest discounter of Silver Jewelry, DreamlandJewelry.com
