What day is it?

Precious jewelry always means more than just jewelry. As in ancient times, so now they demonstrate a person’s good taste and a certain level of his financial security. But before these ornaments acquired an unparalleled appearance and got to the window of a jewelry store, jewelers did a lot of work on them. The world celebrates January 31 Jeweler’s Day. The profession is one of the oldest in history, and requires from its representatives both perfect artistic taste and a mathematical mind. Today’s jewelry art is the result of a combination of modern technology and thousands of years of experience.

How did the idea to celebrate World Jeweler’s Day come about?

People made the oldest jewelry from shells, bones, wood, and stones. Nuggets of metals – copper, lead, tin and gold – were also useful, because they were, unlike stones, more malleable materials. Most of the ancient world had jewelry made of copper, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. They were made by mechanical deformation of nuggets.

Over time, people learned to melt nuggets – this is how casting arose. The new method made it possible to make alloys from different metals. So people created bronze from an alloy of copper and tin. For a long time, bronze was the main material for making not only jewelry, but also weapons and various tools and household items.

Gold

But a special place among all metals is occupied by gold due to its beautiful appearance and unique properties. People gave it the role of a common monetary equivalent, which it remains to this day. In all ancient civilizations, gold became a measure of power and wealth.

In ancient Egypt, known for the luxurious life of its pharaohs, gold was widely used for jewelry. It was mined in the Nubian desert and processed by forging. The Egyptians also used various precious stones for jewelry. The ancient Greeks, also known for their passion for gold products, developed their own special style of jewelry, which later spread throughout the world.

The number of jewelry was unmatched by the Roman Empire. For example, gold clasp fibulae became a common functional accessory, and the Romans were also very fond of precious stones – sapphires, aquamarines, emeralds, pearls. Rings in Rome gained popularity among both women and men. Their engravings were used for seals on documents.

Silver

Another precious metal is silver. Due to its extraordinary plasticity, it, like gold, has long been used for the production of jewelry. Our ancestors in Russia achieved special skill in working with silver. Exquisite silver products using various techniques have survived to our time.

The Middle Ages enriched jewelry art with the development of the enamel technique, and the Renaissance was marked by the high artistic value and individuality of jewelry.

At the end of the 17th century, faceted diamonds began to be used in jewelry. The value of jewelry began to be determined by the shine and “play” of this precious stone.

A new style in precious jewelry, which was called classicism, developed in the 18th century. Products in this style were distinguished by symmetry and careful consideration of details.

In the 19th century, jewelry sets, which consisted of a necklace, brooch, earrings, bracelet, and sometimes a tiara, became popular. Thanks to such sets, it has become even easier to show off your wealth to representatives of the elite class.

20th century

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the appearance of the Art Nouveau style, in which diamonds took a back seat, and garnets, aquamarines and agates took the main role. New processing methods and materials appeared, which contributed to the creation of fantasy designs. From 1915 to 1935, the art deco style dominated the art of jewelers, which combined emphasized luxury and technological achievements.

The jewelry style of the 1940s and 1950s is characterized by a rejection of precious platinum, as well as rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Instead, cheaper aquamarines or citrines were widely used. Motifs of flowers and butterflies were popular in jewelry design, and some designers, for example, at the Tiffany company, used images of birds and animals.

The 1960s brought platinum and diamonds back into jewelry fashion, as well as sets of jewelry united by a common design. Since then and until now, it has become difficult to attribute jewelry to any one style – masters in their work skillfully combine the concepts of different eras, creating jewelry for every taste. The development of modern technologies helps to create innovative designs of real masterpieces, which, without a doubt, will go down in the history of jewelry art.

World Jeweler’s Day in history

• 1837

  Charles Lewis Tiffany founded the jewelry company Tiffany&Co in the United States.
• 1847

  Louis-Francois Cartier opened the jewelry house Cartier in France.
• 1884

  The first Bulgari jewelry store opened in Italy.
• 1919

  Marcel Tolkovsky calculated in detail the ratio in the facet of a round diamond. This cut is considered classic – today 75% of diamonds have this look.
• 1946

  South African diamond mining company De Beers has unveiled an iconic diamond ad with the slogan “diamonds are forever”.
• 1960

  The General Electric company has patented the technology for the production of artificial diamonds.

Frequent Questions and answers about World Jeweler’s Day

How to celebrate World Jeweler’s Day?

World Jeweler’s Day celebrated primarily in a professional environment. Jewelry masters receive greetings and share their experience. Exhibitions of novice jewelers are organized, well-known and young companies present their new collections. Participating in the celebration of a professional holiday gives jewelers the opportunity to establish new connections, to declare themselves and to expand their knowledge in the profession.

Chains of jewelry stores join the event, often announcing discounts for customers on this day. The holiday is usually timed with advertising campaigns and information campaigns designed to tell customers about the possibility of purchasing high-quality and unique jewelry.

Joining the jewelers’ holiday on January 31 is quite simple. It’s enough to visit a jewelry store and buy exactly the jewelry you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. Delighting a relative with such a gift is also a great idea.

This day gives a chance to learn more about jewelry art and its latest achievements. Additional knowledge on this topic will help you better define your desires and tastes in precious jewelry. You should also take care of your jewelry: clean it, and if repairs are needed, take it to a jewelry workshop.

Why do we love this day?

This is not only a professional holiday, but also a positive event for everyone. After all, buying, receiving or giving jewelry is pleasant and romantic. New jewelry always lifts the mood and causes a sincere smile and gratitude.

Such a gift is never unwanted or unnecessary. In many families, there is a concept of “family” jewelry that is passed down from generation to generation.

Even simply looking at your jewelry brings special pleasure, because each of them is a unique memory, often of the most important events in life. Jewelry are different, and depending on their design, they come in handy not only on holidays and solemn events, but also on weekdays. No wonder Marilyn Monroe’s words that diamonds are a girl’s best friend have become an immortal quote.

On Jeweler’s Day, we are pleased to congratulate all our familiar masters – jewelers, whose work brings real aesthetic pleasure. It is always very important to respect the true talent of these people and the ability to offer individual solutions and jewelry options for each of their connoisseurs, for completely different tastes and financial capabilities. Jewelers not only create precious pieces, but also know how to properly clean and repair them so that they always shine like new. Therefore, we should wish the creators of exquisite masterpieces and continue to delight us with their beautiful creations, over which even time has no power.

When will we celebrate World Jeweler’s Day?