A Short History of Precious Metals

The history of fine jewellery is the history of precious metals. From ancient times, as the origins of civilization were coming together, to the times before in prehistory when human communities were attaining the early stages of civilization. Since this page is not a history of the jewellery, rather the use of precious metals, often as a precious jewellery item, our focus here will centre history proper. Hence we will avoid getting origins of jewellery use, which stretches back into prehistory. A primitive time when metal usage was virtually non-existent beyond its rare adoption in the making of primitive weapons. For the adoption of metals and their growing use corresponds to the development of society at the level of civilization, with the key factor underling its prominence being the advancement in technology. In other words the growing prominence of metals goes hand in hand with the advance in society, and the growing sophistication of the needs of people, when it comes to wearables and industrial applications.

Ancient History

The history of Egypt features strongly in virtually any tale that revolves around the development of art, culture and technology. The use of metals, as precious materials or for other purposes can also be traced back to this ancient civilization. too wore amulets and talismans. Everyone has seen the scarab in Mummy movies; it is a carving of a small beetle. Another common motif was the ankh, the symbol of life. A popular piece of jewellery, and one which is even finding fashion again, is the multiple strains of beads of various colours. The Egyptians made bracelets of multiple strains of coloured gemstones. The Egyptians used gold symbols and cultural ornaments to display their identity and as a symbol of pride. and gold was the popular metal of choice. The royal jewellers in the king’s court used gold, along with other precious metals like silver, in combination with gemstones like turquoise, amethyst, and lapis lazuli were key developments. The Egyptians were among the first to associate the importance of colour to personality, which paved the way for the understanding of colour as carrying symbolic value. However, this was a practice that soon becomes universal, as the correlation between the ownership of precious metals and status and luxury And as a civilization that deified many aspects of nature like the sun, the colour yellow, in its glowing form that is found gold came to be associated with the sun and hence manifested a higher degree of value. Hence the adoption of gold in the making of crowns and ornaments for pharaohs and their entourage. When speaking of the history of precious metals gold naturally tends to dominate proceedings, however silver and to a lesser extent bronze too have held an important position. Whilst gold is the dominant metal, the varied use of precious metals: from jewellery to rich sculptors, and ornaments and even weapons meant that it is important to consider these important metal types.

Modern Era

The concept of ‘precious metal’ is fundamentally tied to their use in the making of fine jewellery. Since the 1960s the boundaries of jewellery have been continually redefined. With much of the changes being driven by changes in technology, growing demand and globalisation. The use of precious metals have constantly evolved with consumer demands for novel jewellery types, affability and comfort; along with conventions in the making of jewellery have been challenged by the entry of smaller independent jewellers, with ideas, and be fearless to adopt new technologies. Whilst some of these changes have in some ways worked to challenge the centrality of precious metals; however, the changes in the jewellery industry, and also developments in the manufacturing world, where precious metals like gold and platinum are in high demand have shaped the trajectory of the precious metal industry.

The Adoption of Precious Metals by Type:

When speaking of precious metals there are a few notable ones that come to mind, metal types that are recognised for their value and beauty and endurance. And the importance that is attached to them is well justified, as these metal types have not only stood the test of time in terms of the perceived value they have come to command, but also in terms of their supply. Provided that there is no worldwide effort to keep secret any new or potentially abundant sources of some of these precious metals (for some are more abundant, and hence more precious than others), a key factor that has ensured their rarity is the limited supply of these metals, and the time and costs involved in finding new sources. The following is an attempt to make sense of the historical development of these precious metals, how they developed in significance and their global recognition and adoption for the making of fine jewellery.

Gold

What can be said about gold that has already not been mentioned? Gold is a precious metal, that is arguably the most recognised in the world, and possibly in the history of precious metal use. Gold is valued for its rarity (relative), distinct yellow or ‘gold’ colour that is marked by its distinct glitter, and its relatively high durability, in alloyed form. The use of gold has gone hand in hand with the development of its alloying since gold in its natural form is too soft to be shaped into hardened jewellery or coin. The origins of gold usage are dispersed in terms of its adoption, as gold was soon realised by ancient civilizations for its distinct colour and beauty: with those of Lydia in modern-day Turkey and the ancient Egyptians leading the way, with Lydian gold coins being considered among the first in popular use. If one wishes to understand the value that humanity has attached to gold, the word that comes to mind is ‘obsession’. The promise of gold has driven the desires, ambitions and hopes of many men. Powering the advance of adventurers, conquers and pirates. Outlining these events in writing will take forever, so it is best to focus on key moments in the history of this metal. From its adoption in ancient Egypt, where the gold coins were in common usage. During the New Kingdom Egyptians are believed to have mastered gold alloying that set in motion the widespread use of gold, that in combination with other technologies like wax-casting or precision casting; though primitive at the times enabled the making of gold ornaments, sculptors etc.

The Gold Standard

The term gold standard has many meanings. Besides the historical monetary system that was tied to the precious metal, that ended in 1933, gold as a precious metal has been recognised as important since it resonated with the human mind at a universal level. No human society that has reached the level of civilization has failed to recognise its aesthetic and later commercial value. In modern times, with the use of gold various manufacturing process, such as electronics has driven its value even further. And so the value of gold in terms of demand is independent of changes in the fine jewellery industry. Gold in the fine jewellery industry has managed to hold its own, in the face of competition from the likes of platinum and sterling silver, with innovations like white and rose gold. And remains the top metal of choice for precious jewellery.

Silver

Silver is a hard metallic element, that is recognized for its distinct glow and colour that differs from its main competitor. Silver, if one looks at its basic characteristics, is harder than gold, though is less malleable than its more expensive yellow coloured counterpart. Silver, like gold in practical use, particularly in the making of fine jewellery, is alloyed: combined with other metals like copper. Historically silver was soon recognised for its value, owing to its distinct colour and malleability: so it soon became a metal of choice for the making of ornaments and cutlery. And given its distinct characteristics it was soon rendered a higher value, hence its adoption within royal circles, with the element of luxury and status being attached to it. The first use of silver goes to Asia minor, during the span of the Bronze Age, where the metal refining method known as cupellation came into use. The recognition and adoption of silver as a valuable metal spread across the world, with major civilizations of the ancient world: like Egypt, Phoenicia and the Greeks being among the early users. The value attached to silver fluctuated in ancient times, dictated by the supply of silver which were determined the availability of metal deposits.

Silver Usage

Silver in the ancient world gained arguably the most important recognition in its adoption as the metal of choice in the making of coinage. Silver coins, like the gold variant, were natural candidates to be used as a measure of value, and unit of exchange. The minting of silver coins became one of the most important developments in the history of this metal. A practice that continued well through the Renaissance era and into the modern era. Silver’s prominence was driven by its appeal as an ornamental metal, and one that, whilst second in class to gold, managed to hold its distinction. And notable in the making of rich cutlery. In the world of fine jewellery, arguably the most significant development was the discovery of sterling silver. Sterling silver is a silver alloy, that is formed by combining pure silver with copper, (925 parts pure silver). The origins of sterling silver are somewhat in dispute, as some sources cite the efforts of King Edward I in the 13^th century, others point to pre-unified Germany (first), in the East, where the Hanseatic League, an early north German federation, that formed in the 12^th century, who were the first to mint silver coins, known as ‘Easterling Coins’ that followed the 92.5 pure silver formula. The use of these coins was used in the trade with the British, which was possibly the inspiration for what transpired up north. The development of sterling silver is a key turning point in the use of silver, as it soon became the durable, resistant metal with qualitative advantages of pure silver, and today is the industry standard when it comes to making fine silver jewellery.

Bronze

Moving onto a cheaper and generally less recognise metal in the precious jewellery range. Bronze for much of human history was the most widely used metal. Students of history would know of the term ‘Bronze Age’ which has been used to denote a period in prehistory, the other two being the older ‘Stone Age’ and the later ‘Iron Age’. The Bronze Age was a key period in human history, which lasted almost 3000 years, from its start around 3000 BC. Whilst some may be tempted to discard the significance of bronze, positing it as a metal that is on the lower end of the value, with practically little to no use in the world of fine jewellery. Whilst such a view is broadly correct, however, the contribution made by bronze in the development of not only precious metals but of metals in general. The development and use of bronze in the varied military and civilian applications was a key in the advance of human civilization. The key feature is its low melting point, which was recognized by ancient civilizations that made it by combining tin and copper to make more durable tools and weapons. And its adoption in the making of fine jewellery was only a logical step. Whilst bronze was always playing second or third fiddle to gold and silver, it was and still remains an important metal that carries an element of value. If one follows a world sporting event like the Olympics, the use of bronze as third-place finishers is one such example: whilst not as significant as gold and silver, bronze still holds a place at the top table. But not when it comes to fine jewellery in the modern-day, however, its contribution to the use of precious metals is of great significance.

Platinum

The first use of platinum can be sourced to, like most origins stories of precious metals, Egypt. Often found as remnants within gold ornaments and precious carvings. Since the true value of platinum as a distinct metal was not fully recognised, and metal purification techniques to separate metal alloys were yet to be developed during the early years of the metal casting technology, hence this precious remained as a remnant. But noticeable traces of platinum have been discovered in hieroglyphics descriptions. On the other side of the world, centuries later, in South America, in regions that contain platinum deposits, the civilizations that inhabited this region and the artefacts that metals ornaments and jewellery of that era have been noted to contain platinum alloys. Once again, the prevalence of platinum was limited, often found in combination with gold. Those involved in jewellery casting in those ancient times had clearly recognised platinum for its distinct colour and character but was still viewed in relation to the greater prominence attached to gold.

Platinum use in Modern Times

The mainstream recognition of platinum and its popular adoption in the making of fine jewellery started properly in 1741 when an Englishman named Charles Wood encountered platinum deposits in Columbia. Credit for the discovery of platinum however would go to his scientist brother William Brownrigg, who recognised it as a distinct element. In the following years, many attempts were made to make platinum in commercially viable quantities, and the key breath through came thanks to the efforts of Pierre Francois Chabaneau a French chemist in 1786, who was working in the Kingdom of Spain. So it was that took the lead in the early platinum production. And remained a national secret, until the French invasion in 1808. Events in European history, like the French Revolution, pushed the technical advances in the development of the platinum metal to Great Britain, notably England, where William Hyde Wollaston and Smithson Tennant, two scientists whose efforts in the field led to the discovery of the platinum group of metals: the fact that platinum is a part of the group of transition metals that carry similar characteristics. The other variants in modern times have also entered popular usage. The 1800s was the time when platinum was being adopted in the making of jewellery. However servicing the demand was a challenge owing to the dearth of sources, for platinum unlike gold is extremely rare in its natural state. Things started to change a little bit with the discovery of platinum in South Africa at the start of the 20^th century. Following on the success of diamond mining in the African nation, the then European colony, platinum deposits were discovered in 1924 by Dr Hans Merensky the son of German missionaries, who along with discovered the Bushveld Igneous Complex: a massive geological formation, the result of volcanic formation, and is known to hold over 75 per cent of the world’s known platinum reserves. The economic viability of the metal in the making of precious jewellery and later in the making of key industrial products, which took off following the end of WWII as the technological advances meant new applications were discovered for platinum and platinum groups of metals.