After the fall of the Roman empire, the Byzantine empire took over the manufacturing methods from Romans and developed them further with religious themes. Unlike Romans, Byzantium didn’t used solid gold, but lightweight leafs with different embedded gems and stones. As in West, women used to wear jewelry as a sign of wealth, while men had only rings.

    During Renaissance exploration made available a wide variety of beads, gems, stones and metals, so that jewelry making techniques borrowed heavily from one culture to another. Napoleon was a jewelry lover and during his age jeweller introduced parures, suites of matching jewellery, such as a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, diamond rings, a diamond brooch and a diamond necklace, all in one matching jewelry set.

    In Romanticism changing social conditions and growing interest from medium class for jewelry saw an orientation in jewelry making towards cheaper materials used in building them in order to grow availability. In United States, Tiffany’s company, founded in 1837 made US a point in the worldwide map of jewelry.

    19th century jewelry

    19th century jewelry