The history of jewellery is a long one, with many different uses among different cultures. It has shaped the course of history and provided various insights into how ancient cultures worked. One universal factor, however, is control over who could wear what jewellery. In ancient Rome, for instance, only certain ranks could wear rings [4](Chapter 4); later, sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what type of jewellery; again based on rank. Cultural dictates have also played a significant role; for example, the wearing of earings by Western men was considered "effeminate" in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Religion has also played a role: Islam for instance considers the wearing of gold by men as Haram[5], and many religions have edicts against excessive display.

Early jewellery:

The first signs of jewellery came from the Cro-Magnons, ancestors of Homo sapiens, around 40,000 years ago. The Cro-Magnons originally migrated from the Middle East to settle in Europe and replace the Neanderthals as the dominant species. The jewellery pieces they made were crude necklaces and bracelets of bone, teeth and stone hung on pieces of string or animal sinew, or pieces of carved bone used to secure clothing together. In some cases, jewellery had shell or mother-of-pearl pieces. In southern Russia, carved bracelets made of mammoth tusk have been found. These adornments were often placed in their owner’s graves after they died. Around 7,000 years ago, the first sign of copper jewellery was seen, thus starting the popular trend of metal jewellery. [6]
Jewellery in Africa:

Jewellery in Egypt:

The first signs of established jewellery making in Africa was in Ancient Egypt around 3,000-5,000 years ago. The Egyptians preferred gold as their jewellery material, as it was easy to shape, was rare and luxurious and seldom tarnished. Before the first resemblance of a dynasty in Egypt, the country had already acquired much gold to make jewellery with. Although the Egyptians acquired gold from the eastern deserts of Africa and from Nubia, in later years they captured it in the spoils of war or were gifted it in tributes from other nations.
Jewellery in Egypt soon began to symbolise power and religious power in the community. Although it was worn by wealthy Egyptians in life, it was also worn by them in death. In numerous Egyptian tombs, corpses and mummies are adorned with jewellery and artefacts. They were placed there to accompany the dead owner into the afterlife, such is the case with King Tutankhamen, who was buried with many pieces of gold and fine jewellery. However, the abundance of jewellery inside these tombs has caused many of them to be looted and most pieces of ancient Egyptian jewellery have been lost into the black market or private collections.

In conjunction with gold jewellery, Egyptians used coloured glass in place of precious gems. Although the Egyptians had access to gem stones, they preferred the colours they could create using their colour over the natural colours of the stones. For each gem stone, there was usually a combination mixture that was used by the Egyptians to mimic it. The colour of the jewellery was very important, as different colours meant different things; the Book of the Dead stated a law that the necklace of Isis around a mummy’s neck must be red to satisfy Isis’s need for blood, while green jewellery meant new growth for crops and fertility. Although lapis lazuli and silver had to be imported from beyond the country’s borders, most other materials for jewellery were found in or neighbouring Egypt, for example in the Red Sea, where the Egyptians started one of the first mines on Earth in search of Queen Cleopatra’s favourite gem, the emerald.

Egyptian jewellery was predominantly made in giant workshops attached to temples or palaces by numerous jewellery makers. Each had a different title according to the details of their job; for example a bead maker was called an iru weshbet, while a goldsmith was called a neby.
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Diamonds in Africa

In South Africa, diamonds and gold used for jewellery contributed to the Second Boer War in the 1840’s, after massive amounts of British miners migrated to the area. South Africa is currently the number one producer of gold in the world. Numerous other countries, such as Sierra Leone, have found diamonds and other precious gems used in jewellery within their borders. Especially in Africa, the diamonds are often mined secretly and transported out during times of civil war or conflict. When this happens, the diamonds mined are called “Blood diamonds” or “War diamonds”. Often rebel groups stage uprisings for the sole purpose of capturing gold and diamond mines. Although diamonds were first mined in India, Africa has become infamous for its conflicts over diamonds and gold.