Cameron Bailey

THE 240: History of World Dress

Spring 2014
The Mystical Origins of Jeweled Adornment throughout History and Cultures

The purpose of this research is to identify that jewelry's primary function throughout history was for
spiritual motivations. The concept of the evil eye developed worldwide as the symbolic
representation of the profound question: Why do bad things happen? Subsequently early societies
developed mystical amulets as a means of protection against such evils. By identifying the beginning
incentives for dress and adornment as spiritual rather than secular, a better understanding for jewelry
and its magico-religious origins will be made and slowly diminish the mentality of jewelry being useful
only for ornate usage.