The bling ring

PREHISTORIC

Shells, stones and bones are all early examples of jewellery worn by the first men and women. Scholars believe these symbols were used as a mark of status and could have been used for protection, before the developments of the Bronze Age turned jewellery into an art form in itself.

ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS

A precious belonging, often made in highly valuable gold, jewellery was often buried with the dead. In ancient Egyptian, Roman and Russian civilisations, in particular, precious gems and ornate techniques were treasured. In New Zealand, early