Jewelry has been around since pre-historic times. Women would adorn themselves with the bones of dead animals, leaves, flowers, shells and even twigs and stones. These personal ornaments come in the form of necklaces to adorn the neck, rings for fingers and toes, bracelets for the wrists and now even tattoo enhancement pieces. Jewelry can be made with various metals embedded with real and artificial stones as well as gems and a number of other substances like resin and plastic.

The word jewelry comes from the word 'jouel' or 'jocale' which mean play thing! Different pieces of jewelry are the oldest forms of body adornment. Earlier jewelry was created and worn to adorn and to attract the members of the opposite sex as well as for practical use.

Later, the pieces were hoarded and stored as a sign of wealth. The decorative jewelry pieces were also used to pin fabric together for a glamorous look. However, in contemporary times, the jewelry pieces marketed and worn are exclusively for decoration. The earliest pieces of jewelry were made from materials easily found in nature. These included animal teeth, wood and carved stones. Jewelry has been around to showcase people of high importance and their status in society. The Egyptian pharaohs were actually buried with their jewels and jewelry!

Jewelry can be designed out of almost every material known to man and to adorn nearly every body part. There are hairpins, toe rings, broaches and the very stylish diamond nose rings. The types of jewelry accessible today are varied and manufacturers and designers cater to the demand for innovative designs as well as affordable ones.

The category of art jewelry is one where design and creativity are prized more than monetary value. Now, the very versatile costume jewelry is also available. In addition, the price range, materials and mass-production make the pieces easily accessible in actual brick and mortar stores and online.

The new variations in jewelry include the popular wrap jewelry that is available in anything from base metal wire work with rock tumbled stone settings or precious metals and precious gemstones. The jewelry in the world market is dedicated to the local market demands and wholesale/customized requirements.

The jewelry market caters to the jewelry variations that keep coming in and out of fashion. While some prefer simple jewelry made out of any single metal and without gemstones, others prefer flashy designs with colored stones and double metal variations. Just as preferences differ, so do the designs available. One look at the typical Chinese Feng Shui jewelry in comparison to the American jewelry is enough to understand the difference in tastes.

The younger generations are now indulging in body piercing and each of the body parts pierced demand jewelry of different designs. For example: what your wear on the belly button may not be your choice of jewelry for the ears or pierced eyebrows. It is easy to see that in spite of the variations in jewelry and the materials used since early times, the basic need to adorn the body remains the same.