Even before the Stone Age, men gazed at the shapes of crystals, whose origins they could not begin to understand or explain. It is not surprising that it was thought that these fascinating formations held supernatural powers. Fantastic origins have been suggested through the years for stones. Rock crystal was ice permanently frozen by intense cold. Hyacinth (a precious stone of the ancients sometimes thought to be the sapphire) was supposedly produced by the earth's extreem aridity combined with the sun's powerful action. Amber was thought to be a product of lynxes' urine and birds' tears.
During the Stone Age, primitive men became interested in gold, which was relatively easy to melt and to cast. From this the first pieces of real jewelry were made.
During the Bronze Age, silver and copper were mined and jewels, ornaments and cult statues were made from copper, bronze and rocks of unusually striking color or shape.
The Ancient Egyptians, commonly inlaid gold and silver with semi-precious stones such as carnelian, jasper, amethyst, turquoise and lapis lazuli. A particularly popular jewelry item was the signet ring and many of the motifs used, such as the lotus, falcon, serpent and eye, were derived from religious symbols. Scarabs, represetation of the scarab beetle carved in stone, were also popular in ancient Egypt and Rome.
The Greeks made ornaments of plain gold until about 400 BC.
Then around 400 BC when a variety of gems and cameos (precious and semi-precious gemstones carved in relief on one layer with another contrasting layer below acting as background) were used.
Roman Jewelry was massive with ropes of highly prized pearls and Medieval Jewelry included very large brooches.
During the Renaissance, men and women wore gold chains, jeweled collars and pendants, often designed and sometimes even rendered by noted artists.
During the late 17th Century, ornaments crowded with stones were worn to an excess .
In the late 18th Century, jewelry was almost superseded by decorative buttons, watches and snuffboxes.
The 19th Century brought the revival of the bracelet and the cameo.
During the 20th Century, factory production of jewelry began, artistry declined as costume jewelry was introduced.
In the 1960s there was a renewed interest in hand-wrought jewelry and since then the craft has continued to experience a revival.
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Stones were also widely used in the production of seals, carved dies of stamps used to mark documents or objects with a sign of official origin or ownership. Ancient seals were generally engravced with a design (an intaglio which is carved opposite of a cameo) to be impressed on wax or damp clay.
In China however, seals carved in relief were used with ink as stamps, representing an early form of printing.
In Ancient Greece and Rome, seal rings and portrait seals engraved with the owner's likeness became widespread.
After the fall of Rome, the use of seals declined.
During the 12th Century the seals were revived and until the 18th Century, heads of church and state and various civic dignitaries used seals carved with heraldic designs to stamp their documents.
Crystal balls have been produced, and highly prized, throughout recorded history. The Japanese have the highest respect for rock crystal, which they consider to be the symbol for perfection and purity. Japanese craftsmen have produced crystal balls for centuries. The perfect jewel, cut into the perfect form. They believe that the dragon is the supreme creative power and early thought was that rock crystal was formed from the condensation of the dragon's breath.
In Europe, crystal balls from high-quality crystal found in the Alps were highly prized, though for different reasons. There, crystal gazing was used not only as an aid to foresee the future but as a stimulus to the mind. Musicians, authors and even politicians have benefited from self-hypnosis induced by crystal gazing.
As you can see, stones have played a major part in our human evolution.
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