The History of Silver Jewellery

By: Catherine Darcy

Silver is one of the oldest and most treasured metals. Mentioned in the book of Genesis and treasured by all the ancient civilizations, it has ranked alongside gold as a precious and sacred metal for thousands of years.

Symbolised by the crescent moon since the time of the ancient Egyptians, it was valued for its brilliant shimmer and used across the ancient world for sacred tools, weapons and jewellery.

A chronological history of silver.

Silver was first mined over 5000 years ago in what is now Greece and Turkey. Around 2500 BC the Chaldeans are believed to have developed the first real process for extracting silver from ore, supplying a growing demand for silver jewellery and tools from the flourishing Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. With the decline of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations between 1600 and 1200 B.C. silver production moved to the mines of modern day Greece, which produced almost 1 million troy ounces per year between 600 B.C. and 300 B.C. During this same period, silver began to appear in Asia, with deposits discovered and mined and silver-smithing developing within the Chinese dynasties.

The Roman Empire was the next major influence on silver production, prospecting for silver in Spain and across continental Europe in an effort to meet a growing demand for Silver jewellery, coins and household items. Between 100 and 1100 AD, the Spanish mines became one of the biggest sources of silver. They not only supplied the majority of the domestic needs of the Roman Empire until 476 A.D. but also served as a critical source of silver for trade in the expanding Asian spice trade.

While the Old world empires were mining silver and producing silver jewellery, weapons and household items, developments were also taking place across the globe. As early as 1000 BC The Indians of Central and South America were making high quality silver jewellery and weapons, a process that continued right up to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.

The discovery and conquest of the new world in 1492 uncovered huge riches. Over the next 100 years, Silver production increased tenfold with the Spanish conquistadors exploiting sources in Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. Latin America accounted for over 85% of silver production and trade right up until 1800.

Latin America not only had huge deposits of silver, they also had highly developed silver-smithing skills, with the indigenous Indians of Mexico, Panama, Peru and Costa Rice producing silver jewellery of a quality comparable to that of the old world. The first silver smithing in North American is reputed to have come from the Native American tribes in New York (the Seneca, Iroquois, Cayuga and the Onondaga) who began turning captured European Silver coins into jewellery.

The late 19th century saw technology move on significantly and large new deposits were discovered across North America (The Comstock Lode in Nevada, the Leadville district in Colorado and various areas of Utah), Canada and Australia. These technological advances allowed previously untapped deposits to be mined and previously impossible ores processed.

The 1850s saw the move to mass production of silver. Electroplating was invented (a process where a thin layer of silver was layered over a cheaper metal). Tiffany and Co. began producing Silverware in New York. In the UK, Queen Victorias led the trend for ancient Celtic motifs in jewellery and a move back towards more individual, hand-made pieces. In the Far East, silver became the metal of choice for the Japanese royal family.

For the last 150 years, Silver Jewellery has remained fashionable. Its brilliant shine, strength, malleability and relatively low cost (compared to Gold and Platinum) have made it the most popular choice for jewellery world wide. The modern centre of fine Silverwork is the city of Taxco in Mexico.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

Catherine D’Arcy is the founder of Corazon Latino, an online retailer specializing in handmade silver jewellery. To see their exclusive range of silver bracelets and bangles visit www.corazonlatino.com

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