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You may not have thought much about it, but gemstones occupy an important place in human history. They have served as sacred objects, currency, medicinal cures, talismans, collectibles, and, of course, jewelry. But not all cultures value gemstones equally.
Ancient Egyptians valued carnelian and lapis lazuli over all other stones and learned to make jewelry with them. The early Greeks of the ancient world preferred beaten gold. Between 323 BC and 31 BC, they learned to cut gemstones to accentuate their color and brilliance.
The Romans of Pompeii preferred earrings and necklaces of garnet and pearl. Later Greeks believed that emeralds, sardonyx, garnet, and sapphires were the most valuable of all gemstones. The Olmec, Mayans, and Aztec all preferred jade and obsidian. Native peoples of the Caribbean and South and Central America valued jade, obsidian, mica, and gold alloys. Native Americans of the Great Lakes and Eastern North America valued hammered copper. The Chinese loved jade and learned to carve it into delicate images.
Sometimes gemstones could be dangerous. After the Protestant Reformation in 1517, most precious Catholic reliquaries and liturgical objects in Great Britain and Northern Europe were melted down and the gemstones sold.
The increasing prosperity of Venetian merchants and the rising disparity in wealth in the 16th century caused the Venetian government to create sumptuary laws that limited the use of gemstones in personal adornment. They were afraid of the social conflict the ostentatious display of wealth might cause.
In 1299, no one but a bride could wear pearls as personal adornment in Venice. In 1511, women were not allowed to wear pearls on their head or neckline except one strand worth no more than fifty ducats.
Gemstones continue to inspire awe and fear. In my new series Heirs of Anarwyn, they are also the key to magical power and the survival of the human species.
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