# Jewellery design

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**Jewellery design** is the art or profession of designing and creating [jewellery](/source/Jewellery). It is one of civilization's earliest forms of [decoration](/source/Adornment), dating back at least 7,000 years to the oldest-known human societies in [Indus Valley Civilization](/source/Indus_Valley_Civilization), [Mesopotamia](/source/Mesopotamia), and [Egypt](/source/Ancient_Egypt). The art has taken many forms throughout the centuries, from the beadwork of [ancient times](/source/Ancient_history) to the [metalworking](/source/Metalworking) and [gem-cutting](/source/Lapidary) of the modern day.[1]

Before an article of jewellery is created, design concepts are rendered, followed by detailed [technical drawings](/source/Technical_drawing) generated by a jewellery designer, a professional who is trained in the architectural and functional knowledge of materials, fabrication techniques, composition, wearability, and market trends.

Traditional hand-drawing and drafting methods are still used in designing jewellery, particularly at the conceptual stage. However, a shift is taking place to [computer-aided design](/source/Computer-aided_design) programs (CAD). The traditionally hand-illustrated jewel is typically translated into wax or metal directly by a skilled craftsman, but a CAD model is generally used as the basis for a CNC cut or 3D printed 'wax' pattern to be used in the rubber moulding or lost wax casting processes.[citation needed]

Once planning is complete, the design is rendered and fabricated using the necessary materials for proper adaptation to the function of the object. For example, 24K [gold](/source/Gold) was used in ancient jewellery design because it was more accessible than [silver](/source/Silver) as source material. Before the first century, many civilizations also incorporated beads into jewellery. Once the discovery of [gemstones](/source/Gemstone) and [gem cutting](/source/Gemcutter) became more readily available, the art of jewellery ornamentation and design shifted. The earliest documented gemstone cut was done by [Theophilus Presbyter](/source/Theophilus_Presbyter) (c. 1070–1125), who practised and developed many applied arts and was a known goldsmith. Later, during the 14th century, medieval [lapidary](/source/Lapidary) technology evolved to include [cabochons](/source/Cabochon) and [cameos](/source/Cameo_(carving)).[2]

Early jewellery design commissions were often made by nobility or the church to honour an event or as wearable ornamentation. [enamelling](/source/Vitreous_enamel) and [repoussé](/source/Repouss%C3%A9_and_chasing) became standard methods for creating ornamental wares to demonstrate wealth, position, or power. These early techniques created a specific complex design element that later led to the [Baroque](/source/Baroque) movement in jewellery design.[1]

Throughout the 20th-century jewellery design underwent drastic and continual style changes: [Art Nouveau](/source/Art_Nouveau) (1900–1918), [Art Deco](/source/Art_Deco) (1919–1929), International Style & organicism (1929–1946), New Look & Pop (1947–1967), Globalization, Materialism, and [Minimalism](/source/Minimalism).[2]

## References

1. Tait, Hugh (2008). *7000 Years of Jewelry*. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55407-395-5.

1. Cappellieri, Alba (2010). *Twentieth-century Jewelry: From Art Nouveau to Contemporary Design in Europe and the United States*. Skira. ISBN 978-88-6130-532-8.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jewellery design](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewellery_design) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewellery_design?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.