Gems and jewellery have fascinated men and women since the beginning of time. Not only do gemstones provide the pleasure of ownership of something valuable, but they also posses an inherent beauty that on occasion caused the death of people. Perhaps it all began when a girl was attracted to a pebble glittering in the river and persuaded her boyfriend to retrieve it for her. He saw this opportunity to enhance his own image and so looked for more similar and bright objects that could make him more attractive. Some times ago gems were found in rivers and they were plenty of that time. When peoples are looking for more gemstones, they began to collect them from the rivers and started to trade them for other peoples.
From apples to diamonds is but a small leap. Men and women started acquiring glittering crystals with forever. Lots of kingdoms and empires were battling for gemstones throughout the histiry. Odd as it may seen, the history of human civilization is intimately linked to the existence of pretty bits of mineral and organic materials. Gems have been used throughout the history as symbols of wealth, as talisman, as objects of worship, as money and medicine. They have been made in to jewellery used for personal adornment and have served as investments and store housed of wealth. Wars have been waged and violence crimes have been committed in pursuit of gems. Kingdoms have been overthrown and unknown parts of the globe explored and mapped in their quest. Fortified by ignorance and superstition, stories have been woven around the great power of gems and their use in jewelry. Some of these tales have endured as legends. Few other commodities have achieved the level of importance that gems have attained in the world affairs.
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