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History of Gold and Golden Jewelry
courtesy of gold.org
Have you ever wondered why gold jewelry is so popular
and desirable, not to mention expensive? A look into the history of
gold reveals how people of every culture, time period, and nation
have fought wars and built fortunes based on the allure of gold. Pronounced
a symbol of wealth and power since ancient times, gold still proves
to be one of the most coveted metals today. Its brilliance inspired
the Incas to cover every wall of its magnificent Temple of the Sun
in gold in the 14th century. Its riches inspired Cortes to defeat
Montezuma and seize the Aztec's vast gold stores in the 15th century.
And its contagious fever captivated thousands to migrate west for
the California Gold Rush in 1848.
Gold
jewelry, though a mass-marketed product today, occupies a rich
history that dates back to the beginning of civilization. Following
the fall of the Roman Empire, the mining and production of gold halted
for nearly 1000 years until the Spanish discovered America in 1492.
Cortes invaded Mexico and seized its gold treasures in an effort to
revive Spain's economy in 1519. In 1531, Pizarro invaded Peru and
captured the Incas' ruler Atahualpa, immediately melting down the
Inca's golden artifacts to ship back to Spain. Earlier on, the Incas,
who considered gold "the sweat of the sun," conquered the Chimu Empire
and made the Chimu goldsmiths cover every inch of The Temple of the
Sun's walls in gold.
Though the Spanish conquerors exhausted gold artifacts and mines,
over 90% of the world's gold has been produced since the gold rush
of 1848. Gold mining took on a much larger dimension after the discovery
of Sutter's Mill on the American River in 1848. Soon after, gold was
discovered in Australia and South Africa. These discoveries and supplementary
increase in gold supply marked a turning point-gold, once a rare metal
afforded only by royalty was now more attainable by people of all
classes.
In modern day, Italy has remained at the forefront of the gold jewelry
industry. The Italian Renaissance coincided with the discoveries of
the new sources of gold, and wealthy Italian patrons supported goldsmiths
as they did painters and sculptors. Today, factories that automate
hundreds of machines that "knit" gold wire into chain flourish in
the towns of Aires, Geneve, and Vicenza.
Pihder said it best nearly 2,500 years ago when he wrote, "Gold is
the child of Zeus, neither moth nor rust devoureth it." Indeed, its
beauty is timeless and materiality enduring, proving a powerful combination
that will ensure gold's coveted stature through time.
Tutankhamun
The boy-king of Egypt from 1361 to 1352 BC whose tomb, discovered
by Howard Carter in 1922, preserved some of the greatest treasures
of the Egyptian goldsmiths' craft. The king's body was encased in
a coffin of solid gold sheet two millimetres thick, weighing over
90 kilos. The head of the mummy was shrouded in a great mask of beaten
gold.
Gold Plated Shrine
Detail from a panel on the gold plated shrine from the tomb of Tutankhamun
in the Cairo Museum. Gold jewelry can be seen on
the Pharaoh's neck.
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