Silver Jewelry History

Silver has been considered valuable ever since it was first discovered. People found that it was both beautiful and could be formed into many decorative and usable objects. Very early in society's history, people originated the concept that silver had a certain value based on its weight and beauty. The Greeks and Romans began minting silver coins with an identified face value. Around the same time, people around the world who were familiar with the attractive looks and soft malleability of silver began fashioning jewelry out of it.

As silver became more associated with value, its worth became a standard measurement for trade, and the history of silver and silver jewelry became richer and more meaningful to the world.

We’ll explore the history of silver jewelry, coins, and practical items from the Middle Ages to the present and highlight silver's eternal appeal to the world.

Classical Silver

During the classical silver period of around 2 BC, both the Greek and Roman societies focused their attention on producing minted coins to enhance their trade abilities and grow their economies. They marked the coins using a surface decoration and engraving technique called niello which used silver nitrate to imprint the designs.

Celtic Silver

The Celtic tribes of the same period experimented with an alloy of silver and bronze to create their jewelry. Before the Roman invasion, these tribes also used a currency of silver, bronze, copper, and gold rings for currency. The rings were not designed to be worn, only to be used for trade.

Medieval Silver

With the slow demise of the Roman empire and the disruption of their supply lines, gold became a rarity in Europe and silver grew in popularity and value. From around 800 AD it became the most-used metal for jewelry. An industry was created and silver jewelry became a tradition.

Renaissance Silver

The era referred to as the renaissance ran from 1500 to 1600. Trade between northern Europe and the Mediterranean countries and regions increased and silver was a popular trade item which was increased by the silver brought from the Americas to Europe. It expanded the dual usage of silver for jewelry and currency.

Baroque Silver

The Baroque period spanned 1600 to 1700. It featured an increasing amount of silver being imported from American countries. With this increase, the use of silver expanded in jewelry and other areas and silver timepieces became a new and popular use for silver. Silver jewelry also began to be set with diamonds and other valuable gemstones.

Georgian Silver

Silver mining in South America was booming during the Georgian era of the 1700s. History tells us that Georgian jewelry was either composed entirely of silver or almost always contained some elements of the precious and valuable metal.

Victorian Silver

The Victorian era coincides with the Industrial Revolution and the recognition of 925 Sterling silver as an industry standard. This had a large-scale impact on the jewelry manufacturing industry. It also increased the use of silver in other industries. For example, silver was used extensively in die striking and stamping. When Queen Victoria bought Scotland's Balmoral Castle in 1848, Scottish agate jewelry become popular. These exquisite pieces were usually made of silver and caused another surge and renewed interest in silver jewelry of all kinds.

Silver Jewelry Today

Today, the tradition of creating fine silver jewelry has mainly been concentrated in Asia and Thailand is considered one of the world leaders in creating top-quality earring, studs, bracelets, necklaces and rings for an ever-expanding clientele of retail customers around the globe.

Topaz B.K.K. Co, Ltd is one of the companies leading this trend. We specialize in designing and producing affordable, top-quality silver jewelry for export to our many retail customers worldwide. We’ve been creating our jewelry since 1992 and have built a network of relationships and partnerships that have allowed us to expand our business and reach new clients. Browse our wide variety of quality silver jewelry currently available. With online ordering and guaranteed shipping to every corner of the world, partnering with us is easy to do.

Our designers lead the way in creating jewelry designs and custom packaging options that help our clients stand out from the competition in their areas of the world. If you're looking for a silver jewelry manufacturer that can help increase your brand awareness, contact Topaz B.K.K. to become one of our valued partners.