Jewelry

Jewelry

Over time, jewelry has often been associated with courtship, romance and love. Gems and adornments are likewise linked to marriage, through the exchange of first engagement, and then marital, rings.

The most precious metals on planet Earth include rhodium, platinum, gold and silver. As a rule, the more rare the metal in nature, the highest its price (due to scarcity). Interestingly, silver has played protective roles in mythology and folklore, such as being dangerous to werewolves. Also, several accounts exist about the nature of Silver Elves. Additionally, throughout history, gold has been used to back up a country’s currency. When it comes to rhodium, in a post-Charlie Sheen episode of American sitcom Two and a Half Men, the ring that ties Ashton Kutcher’s character to his ex-wife is made of rhodium.

A Gothic porcelain doll wearing a black pearl necklace. Perhaps, the raven’s wing, black hair, apparel and make-up convey a Gothic allure of the Morrigan. Image: Copyright © Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Aside from metals, there are also precious and semiprecious stones. Customarily, the most valuable stones in the world are diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Gemstones amber, aquarium, amethyst, pink quartz, white crystal, onyx and garnet are only semi-precious. Diamonds and quartz are likewise used in industry, such as electric tools, lights or watches. Naturally, watches can be remarkable pieces of jewelry. Precious and semi-precious jewels, as well as other ornaments, have often been of interest in magic (fantasy) literature. Crafted works can gain international fame, like artfully encrusted Faberge eggs.

Finally, diamonds and pearls come in almost all shapes and sizes – white, black, blue, pink, etc. Whether diamonds do indeed cut glass has been suggested as a bad way of testing the rocks. By and large, the value of such a rock coincides with its number of carats, clarity, color and absence of any flaws.