Jewelry Articles

According to the 16th Century French poet, Remy Bellau, Bacchu the Greek god of wine, revelry, and debauchery was once captivated by a beautiful maiden by the name of Amethyste. Bacchus pursued the fair Amethyste relentlessly, chasing her for mile after mile. Desperate not to become the prey of the lustful god, Amethyste called out to the goddess of chastity, Diana, for help. To protect Amethyste’s treasured virginity, Diana turned the maiden into a stone of the purest white. Humbled by her sacrifice, Bacchus poured a libation of his symbolic wine onto the stone, staining Amethyste the most glorious purple.

In 1716, Prussia gave Peter the Great of Russia an extravagant gift honoring the peace between their nations - an entire room made of amber and encrusted with beaded jewelry. The panels were backed with gold leaf, which made the entire room glow with a topaz-like warmth.

The gorgeous Amber Room, made of real amber and beaded jewelry, glows like citrine or topaz. Image from Imaging-and-Art.com.

It was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Historians estimate that today it would be worth $146 million.

Earrings have been around for centuries. Some of the handcrafted earrings that have been found in the ancient graves of royal Egyptians and Babylonians are more than 5000 years old. They used to be seen as a sign of wealth. Only the richest people had enough gold or precious stones to wear fashion jewelry.