The Value of Jewelry: Offering More Than Just Looks

It is no secret that many types of jewelry can fetch high prices at the market. Some may see it as an extravagance, while some just have an honest appreciation of the materials that were used and how they are made.

Many also admire jewelry for the beauty they possess. They are often seen as accessories that can enhance your whole outfit. Sometimes the jewelry even outshines the rest of your ensemble and becomes its centerpiece. But there is more to them than just aesthetic pieces that you put around you. Here are other characteristics that serve more than eye candy.

Artisanship

A lot of people use jewelry for fashion, and they are made to attract the attention of many. Although they are a thing of beauty, it is not a representation of the amount of work that is put into their creation. Harvesting precious stones is one thing, but polishing and refining them is a whole different story. They start out as huge chunks of rocks that are then cut down into smaller pieces. At this point, they still have rough surfaces and would have to undergo a grinding process.

This is where a circular tool is used to smooth them out. The amount of friction applied could raise the temperature of the stone and break it, so to control it you have to spray or pour a coolant or a lubricant on it. Most of the precious stone’s surface should be smoothed out after the grinding, and you just have to do some more sanding on the finer edges. After this job is done, you will see the sharp angles that form its facets.

After processing the precious stone, the crafting of the metal comes next. This is what will carry the stone, like a ring or a necklace pendant. These are made by highly-experienced smiths that are able to work with the extreme heat of foundries and yet have the hand precision that can rival a surgeon’s. They also have to have strong arms because they will have to pound heated metals to pound them into their desired forms.

Rarity and Uniqueness

The precious stones and metals that make up your jewelry have high value because they are not abundant materials. It takes a lot of work to extract them from their raw sources. It would take a large-scale operation like a mining project to get them from underneath the layers of the Earth. That takes a lot of manpower and it also can be risky for those who are involved.

Precious metals like gold get poured onto a mold that will shape them into bars that have the same weight. On the other hand, each piece of stone that is mined is pretty much unique. But even metals can take on a one-of-a-kind form when they undergo some smithing. You can also go to a jewelry shop and have pieces like rings and bracelets customized via etching or engraving, further solidifying their uniqueness.

The Science

Gems and metals are not made overnight. There is a science involved in why they exist. Rocks or stones are formed by the formation of soil and magma from a volcano. They then undergo all sorts of reactions and endure tremendous pressure while under the Earth, and this is how they take on various forms. This can go on for hundreds or even thousands of years, which is a huge part of why they are valuable.

Metals are said to be formed from a star. This heavenly body deals with the highest levels of pressure and temperature which allows it to create various elements. The thing is, it will eventually conjure up the thing that will destroy it, and that is iron. It will try to create more energy in the hopes that it destroys this element until it releases all the energy that it can, which will make it explode and kill itself in the process. This act of self-destruction results in a supernova, or a powerful release of energy.

This also releases precious metals such as gold. These are pushed out by extreme force powerful enough to throw them across space. They then enter the Earth basically as pieces of debris.

The Meanings

People have also given meaning to the pieces of jewelry they give or receive. In the Olympics, the top three winners are awarded medals that are made out of gold, silver, and bronze. They represent the first, second, and third places, respectively. As for gems, people like to associate them with their astrological signs. This has made people find out what their birthstone is and hunt these for themselves. They want to own a piece of that because they believe it can bring them luck or prosperity.

Jewelry is a fascinating piece of art. They are admired for their innate beauty. But they also have a deeper meaning that you just cannot see with the naked eye, and they are all the more valuable for it.

Meta title: More Than Just Looks: The Real Value of Jewelry

Meta desc: Jewelry can be more than just eye candy. There are lessons and pieces of information that you can derive from each piece.