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If you have ever looked at a piece of bead jewellery, of which you knew happened to be particularly old, this observation may have led you to wonder more about the history of bead jewellery and the use of beads in artwork as well. The fact of the matter is that some of the oldest pieces of artwork we have found from societies long since vanished have been beads and that even today bead jewellery remains a vital part of all cultures and societies. From the first people of the Nile valley, through to the people who live next door, bead jewellery has been part of human culture for thousands of years and will remain so for thousands more. The reason that bead jewellery has played such an important role in societies both past and present is because of how easy they are to make and how well they lend themselves to decoration of any kind. While today modern technology makes it possible to produce millions of beads daily, even older beads made out of materials such as stone and wood were easily made. If you look at some of the oldest examples of bead jewellery and compare it to the bead work of today, you will notice a stark lack of difference. This does not mean there are not different colours or schemes used, but that beads tend to be the same shape and tend to be arranged in the same manner for most bead jewellery. Because beads are so simple to make, this also meant that people did not have to either have large amounts of money or large amounts of time to engage in making bead jewellery. When a man wanted to make a piece of jewellery for a woman he simply had to find a few stones or pieces of wood that he could shape and then begin cutting them as needed. This meant that anyone could make a nice piece of jewellery without having to be royalty or financially well off. This is the main reason that most of the examples of early artwork from ancient cultures have a lot of bead jewellery. Over time as technology improved and beads became even easier to make, they became even more commonly used in the artwork of cultures all over the world. Today most of the beads on the market are made out of plastic and are more unique than ever before. As we continue to develop new technology, beads are likely to continue to change as well. While beads will see changes, there is no doubt that they will continue to remain a large part of our artwork and jewellery for many years to come. In the end, beads have played an important part in the history of our world. While their purpose is mainly decorative today, they have been used as currency and even as documentations of laws. Next time you look at a bit of bead work, whether it is something more modern or more ancient; take some time to reflect on the history of bead jewellery and the importance it has played in our lives. Jewellery in various forms has been around for a long time. This article discusses the magnificent history of bead jewellery in particular. Discover more about the Cooksongold range of beads.
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