10 Weird Jewelry Facts You Never Knew You Wanted to Know

There’s much more to know about jewelry beyond what stone matches your birthday and what your mom’s favorite type of metal is. Jewelry has been around for millions of years, and it’s come in all kinds of different variations.

As such, it’s worth reading up on precious stones and metals before you go shopping for jewelry again. The more you understand about jewelry, the better you can understand the reasoning behind some traditions and styling norms.

Here are 15 of the most interesting, slightly weird jewelry facts to know!

1. Rose Gold Is Made of Copper

It’s no secret that rose gold has become all the rage lately. But, what most people don’t know is that gold is actually mixed with copper to create the soft pink metal that many people love.

This can actually lower the value of a piece of jewelry, although the popularity of rose gold has given some jewelers an excuse to raise their prices based on demand.

2. Most Diamonds Are 1-3 Billion Years Old

There’s arguably no piece of jewelry more classic than something that’s made with diamonds.

Regardless of the metal used to set the stone, diamonds are a real head turner. They’re sure to impress a special someone and to make a person feel special every time they put diamond jewelry on!

But, they’re even more impressive when you consider that some diamonds are up to 3 billion years old.

3. Real Pearls Take About 3 Years to Make

Pearls don’t take up nearly as much time as diamonds to make. However, it is pretty impressive that it only requires 3 years to create such a precious jewelry item when you compare that timeframe to billions of years of making a diamond.

4. Only 1 in 1,000 Oysters Makes a Pearl

The thing about making pearls is that not all of them come from completely natural sources. Many pearls are man-made because the likelihood of finding a wild pearl is 1 in 1,000. Those aren’t great odds if you’re a jewelry manufacturer trying to create a consistent business model.

Plus, it’s the practice of using man-made pearls that has lead to the development of various kinds of pearls. Beyond the classic white color, pearls now come in everything from baby pink to a deep shade of black.

5. The Tradition of Engagement Rings Began in Austria

Everyone knows engagement rings are a big deal nowadays. But, not many people realize that they didn’t use to be!

Back when marriages were arranged for familial gain and political purposes, men and women didn’t always engage in the romantic acts of love that they do today. It was an archduke from Austria who first decided to give his future bride a ring as a sign of their plans to marry.

Many men followed his lead until this became the norm. These days, it’s typically diamond rings that are used to ask a lady’s hand, but tanzanite rings and other stones are sometimes chosen for this purpose.

7. Men Started Wearing Wedding Rings in the 20th Century

The tradition of engagement rings and even wedding rings was only used by women until the late 1980’s. It wasn’t really common for men to wear jewelry at all until one jeweler decided to start selling them to men, too. The thought was to double the profits he could make with engagement rings and expand his market as a whole.

Clearly, he succeeded. Although most men still don’t wear engagement rings, they do proudly wear their marriage ring.

6. Royalty of Victorian Britain Used to Wear Beetles

Obviously, some traditions are better left in the past. Many would argue that the use of live beetles as jewelry is a “fashionable” practice that should never come back.

However, this was all the rage in Victorian Britain. Royals would attach live beetles adorned in jewels and gold to their outfits. It was a standard for the highest class of England, but it’d be quite a sight to see Queen Elizabeth sporting such a fashion today.

8. Amber Can Be Over 100 Million Years Old

As if the impressive age of diamonds wasn’t enough, just imagine how long it takes for a piece of amber to be made. There are likely thousands of amber stones in the making right now, and still millions of years to go until anyone turns those pieces into a jewelry item.

Still, it’s pretty cool to think that any amber you have right now has been in creation for so long. It’s almost like it was made just for you!

9. Amber Helps Paleontologists Connect the Dots of History

Because amber dates as far back as 100 million years, it’s an extremely valuable archeological tool – particularly the pieces that have animals stuck inside.

Whenever a piece of pure amber is dug up with a bug or insect inside of it, it gives different paleontologists a little more insight about the way the world was so long ago. This helps them connect the dots from then and now, and all the moments of history in between.

10. Necklaces Were Originally Made to Attract Love

Here’s one more weird jewelry fact for you to ponder: due to the fact that necklaces hang near the heart, they were originally made to attract love. This was how women who were ready to marry would try to capture the attention of a wealthy, handsome man – among other tactics.

Today, many men give women necklaces as a sign of their love. It’s almost like this weird tradition has come full circle!

Additional Weird Jewelry Facts, Fashion Tips, and More!

As if these weird jewelry facts weren’t enough to make you scratch your head and make you wonder why some traditions are still around, just imagine all the other things our society simply does out of habit. This goes for everything from the way we dress to the foods we eat, and even how we take care of ourselves!

If you’re interested in discovering more about jewelry and fashion, though, click here.

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?