An artisan is considered an artist but are you aware that
jewelry making is a form of art just like painting, sculpting and glass working? Artists that use fine metals and precious stones to make body decorations have been around for hundreds of years. They have crafted such items as bracelets, rings, neck collars and arm bands for royalty and the wealthy.
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In biblical days only the wealthy or royalty was able to afford to have an artisan design and make their body decorations. Occasionally when the piece was no longer a desirable item, they would be handed down to the most trusted and loyal servant. It was actually a sign of endearment from the family to the servant.
Design was a great concern for the artist. They would create something that represented the family he was designing a piece for with specific designs and symbols. The pieces could then be recognized by the story they told. The old symbol of wealth that was once used is today simply an artistic statement for the artisan. Each piece is purchased according to the design and not as a symbol of their wealth.
Artisans used different materials to craft their pieces. Many times they only had native materials to use such as shells, bone and carved stones like marble. Precious stones and fine metals were not actually used until much later and then only for royalty. The more difficult the materials were to obtain, the more expensive and precious they were.
There are a great many stones that are used in creating baubles of all types. Some are semi-precious and others are precious versions. The semi-precious variety included beauties such as all quartz stones, coral and what most call birthstones or gemstones. Precious stones consist of diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Although many consider pearls a stone they are not but are used for crafting decorative baubles.
There are also a large array of metals used by jewelers. Fine metals are gold or silver which are the most commonly used. The purity of each metal regulates the value of the piece. A piece that is the most pure will naturally cost more to make and to purchase. Silver is usually combined with other metals for its purity, the purest of which is . 925. Gold is rated according to how much is actually used with other metals to create a piece. This rating is called karats.
If you think that this type of art was only used to decorate the body of those it was designed for, you would be wrong. Many artisans made small baubles to use as money. They would pay their taxes with these as well as purchase homes and life necessities. In some ways it is still that way today. The US uses gold as a form of currency.
Whether you are interested in choosing jewelry for its value, design or as a form of money it helps to know a little about the artist and their mindset when creating the piece. Most of this type of art retains its value and in many cases becomes more valuable as time goes on.