The use of Gold in Rome grew beyond its use as jewelry expanded into household items and furniture in the homes of the higher classes. By the third century AD, the citizens of Rome wore necklaces that contained Coins with the image of the emperor. As Christianity spread through the continent, Europeans ceased burying their dead with their jewelry and thus, few examples survive from the Middle Ages, except those of royalty and from church hordes. Modern historians gather information about the jewelry of the middle ages from artwork and literature that began to develop during this time.
Among cultures of the Middle Ages, the Celts produced intricate Brooches while nearly every other region produced gold religious items. By the Renaissance, Classicism began to dictate the production of all art forms, and resulted in a rebirth in jewelry as an art form, in fact historians say artists such as Boticelli were apprentices in Goldsmith shops.
In the height of the Renaissance period, the houses of royalty competed to accumulate larger collections of jewelry, which eventually slowed only to increase again by the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th Century. Renaissance designs would influence most of the jewelry styles of Europe until the classic revival period of the 19th century. In the next Century, cameos began to resurface in the Roman tradition with a Gold frames as well as the chatelaine, an embossed gold pendant.
Lavalieres, small lockets made of gold and named for Louis XIV's mistress from the previous century were also popular. In the 19th century, the Industrial revolution led to increased mining through lower costs and the symbol of gold as an indicator of class disappeared. Berlin Iron jewelry pieces were iron replicas given to Germans, who had turned in their Gold to help pay for the war with Napolean.
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