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Silver and Gold Necklace History

The history of jewelry and necklaces, in particular, is a fascinating one. Necklaces were first discovered to have been worn during the Stone Age made from such materials as shells, bones, stones, and animal teeth and claws. As time progressed, the value and production of necklaces also evolved. Instead of these crude materials, necklaces were made from beads, copper, silver, and also gold. The oldest recorded find of gold necklaces was in what is now known as Iraq.

Necklaces hold many different meanings in every different culture. First and foremost, they are a measure of wealth and status. The more elaborate the design and type of the necklace, the more important and wealthier the wearer is deemed to be. Also, the number of necklaces that people wear on their neck can show that their social status is greater than those who wear only one necklace or none at all. However, necklaces have long stood for more than just the importance of the individual owner. Necklaces can hold great religious meaning. By adorning them with religious symbols such as images of saints, Jesus Christ, or a cross, the wearer displays his or her beliefs. Ancient Egyptian cultures would bury valuable possessions, including gold necklaces, with the dead owners so that they can take it with them to the next world. Necklaces were also considered to hold magical powers.

Many necklaces are also adorned with pendants in the shape of different symbols or animals. Depending on the culture, each pendant also symbolized something different. Egyptians held certain animals in high esteem and often associated them with different Gods. The goddess Bast, whose earthly form was a cat, symbolized fertility, pleasure, joy, and love. Because cat’s eyes can become wide or mere slits, they often also represented the moon and its phases.

Ancient Greeks had their own beliefs as well. Pendants in the shape of butterflies were often worn as a symbol of the soul or a soul searching for reincarnation. A butterfly is always flying and fluttering, seemingly without a care in the world, so a butterfly pendant would remind the wearer not to take things so seriously.

Necklaces weren’t always considered to be an acceptable adornment. In Rome, for example, wearing any type of jewelry was considered improper and often frowned upon. In fact, rules and laws were created to control the amount of jewelry that was permitted to be buried with the dead. When Romans finally accepted the wearing of jewelry, wolf pendants were often displayed during times of battle and war. This was thought to assure the wearer of victory.

Today, the wearing of necklaces can still symbolize that the owner holds great wealth or social status, depending on the type and number of jewels or gold in it. However, people of all classes do wear necklaces now. They are widely used as a symbol of affection and love and are given to friends, family, and lovers alike.

In early times, tools were often fashioned out of crude materials, and so the methods of creating necklaces were quite simple. Usually a mortar and pestle were used to pound gold into shapes and thicknesses. Therefore, they weren’t always smooth pieces. They were still highly valued no matter what the shape.

Gold Necklace Manufacturing

Today, the method of manufacturing gold necklaces involves a much more complex process. Pure gold, 24 karats, is too soft to be effectively used to create most types of jewelry so it is combined with other metals to help it become sturdier and harder. It is melted together in a process called alloying. This mixes the different metals into one.

Next, it is rolled into the desired thicknesses and shaped into various shapes and patterns. After creating a wax mold of the desired shape, the gold is then poured into this mold and then once hardened, the wax is removed. The gold can be polished into a smoother form either by hand or in a huge container. Once this process is complete, the gold is cleaned in a mild acid concoction and inspected for the value. It will be stamped to reflect the amount of karats and any details will be hand engraved.

Other types of metals used to make necklaces include platinum and silver. These are processed a little differently than gold. Platinum is actually a byproduct of nickel and copper. To remove the impurities and have access to the platinum itself, there is one of two processes used. Either they are removed by floating the platinum in water or by melting the impurities away. Platinum has a higher melting point than most other materials, so this process will not harm or destroy the platinum at all.

Silver is manufactured in a similar method to gold. Pure silver is also too soft to create jewelry. The most common metal to alloy it with is copper, although zinc and platinum are also used at times. Once the metals are mixed, they are processed in a similar manner. The silver is rolled into the desired thicknesses and then molded into the required shapes and designs.

Throughout history, selling gold necklaces for other goods has been a common occurrence. Traders would sell gold necklaces for diamonds, silks, and spices. Selling a gold necklace in exchange for the life of a prisoner or slave was also practice in some countries. When the New World was discovered, traders would barter with natives for goods. Today, many jewelry stores will sell a gold necklace to anyone for a simple exchange of money. Online companies are also growing more popular. They offer a vast selection to purchasers all over the world. Buyers are no longer limited to just stopping by a local store.

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