Comparing and contrasting jewelry from India and South Africa to the United States By: Kensington comfort

Jewelry was first created in South Africa. It was originally made from animal hair, grass, bones, clay, or wood, because they didn't have modern supplies yet. Today it is made from clay, wood, bones, glass, shells, beads, and carved stone. It is handmade, and believed to bring luck, hope, and well-being to those who wear it. Bone jewelry is often worn by rulers and chiefs to show they are more powerful.
South African jewelry is admired all over the world. The beads used to create it are made from many different materials, most they keep secret so as to keep them sacred. Jewelry making is encouraged in all of Africa, because they believe it sets an example for the other continents and countries. In their culture, they believe it is important to wear jewelry, so as to honor tradition.
Indian jewelry is handmade. They put a great deal of time into each piece, to ensure it represents its importance. They do this because jewelry is a very essential part of their culture. When you are seen wearing it, people assume you are wealthy and powerful. Many people are buried wearing their jewelry, to identify their standing in society.
In India jewelry is more expensive than in the United States, because it is made with extremely rare jewels, metals, stones, gold, and silver. The process they use to make the jewelry is called the Meenakari technique. It can take as many as 7 different people to make a piece of jewelry, but if one artisan has multiple skills, less people are needed.
In the United States, jewelry is made many different ways. It can be handmade like in India and South Africa, or machine made, using multiple techniques. It is created from things like diamond, karat gold, silver, platinum, or stainless steel. As in India, it can also be made with jewels.
If jewelry is made of rarer materials, it normally more expensive. Most people who wear pieces of jewelry with rare materials are wealthier. A large amount of jewelry in the United States is made from imitation materials and is imported from other countries. This "fake jewelry" is worn by people of all social levels. Jewelry in the United States, India, and South Africa can be customized to fit a persons wants or needs.

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