Well, jewelry can be traced to the civilizations that began in the Mediterranean around 3,000 to 400 BC. Though they were usually simple stone amulets and seals. They carried spiritual meanings, and much of the jewelry of the time had stars, as well as floral designs. Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. As can be seen early on among many cultures jewelry was mostly made up of bones, teeth, shells and stones. Not only the appearance, the materials used, and the art of jewelry making but even the basic function of jewelry has also changed over the years.
Since the time of discovery of precious metals and gemstones, jewelry has been predominately a display of social status. However, jewelry was also used as an instrument to fasten pieces of clothing and so pins, brooches and clips came into being. Though these pieces were initially functional, with time even they evolved to more of a decorative item. Jewelry was and is also adorned as a symbol of religion, faith or marriage. Engagement rings and wedding rings have been an important part of Christian tradition for many centuries now.
Jewelry as a form of self expression and creativity is one of the oldest and probably the most applauded function that jewelry has. This also explains the growing demand of Art Jewelry which emphasizes more on design and creativity than the materials used.
