How History Has Shaped Jewelry

Great Historical Video

In the history of human culture, jewelry has always played an important part. Humans have always been naturally attracted to shiny objects. The rarer the objects or difficult to acquire the more highly desired the objects are. In your mind, you are probably thinking that jewels are mostly created from stones but this is not always the case. Jewels have been created from pretty much every material that has been available. Wood, bone, shells, and animal’s parts have all been used.

Of course, the most popular materials have always been gems and stones. As human technology progressed we could use increasingly more complex materials. Humans began working with metals and precious minerals. They used their new technology to create incredible works of art that represented the culture of the time. While jewelry does have it’s trends, a large amount of jewelry is considered timeless. An example of this is the Love Bracelet by Cartier. Jewelry has evolved significantly over time but its purpose has remained the same. People wear jewelry in order to express their selves. Jewelry can be used to express your style, wealth, beliefs, and many other things. This is part of the reason why jewelry is timeless.


Jewelry began developing in several different advanced civilizations. A lot of people do not think of Egypt when it comes to jewelry origins but Egypt was in fact one of the top three influences. They set the standards when it comes to metalworking, gem collecting, and even glass creation. Jewelry was created in Egypt for thousands of years and this led to many different innovations in the industry. They also had a very unique style that transformed jewelry across the world. Egypt’s influences in the jewelry industry can even be seen to this day.

India took a different approach when it came to Jewelry. They used their jewelry in their religious life as well as in their daily rituals. India was the first civilization that began perfecting gold mining and processing. Because of India’s importance in the jewelry industry, they quickly became a hot spot for trading. India was such a sought after destination that they influenced the expansion of Europe. India’s jewelry soon spread across Asia and then to the rest of the whole world. China had its own spin on jewelry. A lot of their influences can be seen today of course. China’s jewelry often had dragons and nature in their style.

Unfortunately, Egypt failed at one point which allowed Europe to become the number one influence in the jewelry industry. This wasn’t easy though. It took hundreds of years for Europe to take the jewelry throne. The reason it took so long was that it took some time for Europe to establish proper trade routes with the rest of the world. Jewelry change was very trendy during these times due to all of the different cultures mixing.
Jewelry was made for over 100,000 years and over 6,000 of those years utilized metalworking and gem processing. Jewelry will forever remain an important part of mankind.

Jewelry has even been used symbolically. One of the most interesting forms of symbolic use in jewelry is the BDSM collar (Cuffstore.com has some great examples of BDSM collars). They are used to establish whoever is submissive in a relationship. Jewelry will always be used in relationships and the most popular and everlasting tradition is engagement rings. Jewelry will always continue to change but it is here to stay!

What Are Slave Collars?

A slave collar in regards to BDSM is a piece of jewelry worn by a person that lets another interested person know if they are in a submissive position. Most people that wear these items are in a BDSM relationship. They can be worn by males or females and their sexual orientation does not matter as well. These collars are often worn as symbols rather than as actual devices. If a person wears a BDSM collar they are said to be collared. Some people even have ceremonies where they get “collared” which can be similar to a wedding.

They often hold a great deal of importance to the people that are in a relationship. There are many different kinds of collars and they are made of many different kinds of material as well. The most common type of material is leather but different metals are often used also. The important thing when it comes to the metal collars in to keep in mind that some cheap metals can irritate the skin. It is also important to remember that some people are allergic to different metals and the neck is a very sensitive area. A lot of these items have accessories as well including a ring called a D-ring. This D-ring will allow different attachments to be made to the collar. An example of this is a lease or a chain. These items are pretty abstract accessories that would seem strange to wear in public. Because of this, a person may choose to wear a choker necklace instead while in public in order to symbolize their place in the relationship.

Collar With Locking Key
Collar (Shown)

Some people even use dog collars made specifically for dogs because of their cost as well as their ease of access. It is easy to go to the pet store and more discreet rather than going to a store and buying a real one. A lot of them often have locks or padlocks on them as well. Some even have spikes on them and these are called wolf collars. The history behind this is dogs in the past would wear them with spikes on them in order to protect their necks from wolves as well as other predators.

Not everyone that wears slave collars is making a statement. At least in public, anyways. A lot of people do still wear these in order to make a fashion statement. This is something that is often forgotten about. The most popular public accessories are much more discreet and smaller than the ones that are used in private. They are very popular in the goth and alternative subcultures and they can often be seen wearing them. There are even rules that are meant to be followed when wearing them. A conversation has to happen before a person is collared. It is important that a person asks before they are put into this situation. The collar must be put on by the dominant person in the relationship and the submissive has to allow it to happen.

The main reason behind this post is for our readers who are interested in selling these items. They can have very high margins and are typically sold with various up-sells. The website I linked you to above is a prime example of how expensive this fashion statement can be – but it is well worth it to those that are interested in it.