Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in Necklaces are the oldest form of jewelry. It stands to reason — it’s easy to hang things around the neck. Scientists first believed that the necklace came into being during the Stone Age, but then in April 2004 scientists were excavating a cave in South Africa and discovered 41 mollusks that may have been strung as neck jewelry about 75,000 years ago. That discovery changed their minds.
Before that April 2004 discovery, the oldest known necklace had been dated at about 30,000 BC. The necklaces of this time period were made of animal teeth, bones, and claws and strung together on thin vines. This is basically the same principle used to make necklaces today.
Gold was being used to make necklaces as early as 2500 BC. At the Royal Grave of Ur in what is now Iraq, Sumerian bead neck jewelry was discovered with alternating patterns of colored stones and gemstones and metals such as copper or silver.
Earrings come and go throughout history, but the necklace is a constant. Every age and every generation has contributed to the history of the necklace. Ancient Egyptian jewelry gave us the “broad collar.” The Classic Greek period gave us the three-dimensional pendant. In ancient Rome, the practice of wearing necklaces was frowned upon briefly, but then came back into favor and gave us gemstones cut into round or rectangular shapes. Gold-piercing techniques were developed during the second century AD, and by the third century AD, wearing multiple necklaces to denote social status became popular.
Only the very wealthy or royalty wore necklaces during much of history, but today everybody can and does wear necklaces. Necklaces are probably the single-most popular type of jewelry. Necklaces can be purchased in hundreds of styles and in almost as many price ranges.