In ancient time, gold was the most preferable metal for making jewelry as it was rare, tarnish-resistant, and most important of all, malleable.
Beautiful necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, diadems, head ornaments, pectoral ornaments and collars of gold were carved in Egypt-‘the land of Pharaohs. ‘
Excavations by Howard Carter in 1922 led to the great discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and many gold funerary artefacts, all showing the art work of ancient Egypt.
Gold in Rome
In the 8th century B.C., the Italian Etruscans of Tuscany produced gold work in granulated texture. They made large fibulae or clasps, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They also made pendants that were hollow and could be filled with perfume.
In coinage, the Romans used 18 and 24 carat gold. Being fairly easily available, coinage was the craftsman's raw material for decorative jewel work. Two thousand years ago, the Romans were using sapphires from Sri Lanka, cloudy emeralds, garnets, amber and Indian diamond crystals. When England was under Roman rule, fossilized wood called jet from the North of England was carved into amazing pieces.
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