Super Easy Summary (For Beginners)

Jewelry: Past and Present

• Historically, jewelry was regarded as "sparkling adornment" or "a display of wealth and status."
• Today, it is increasingly seen as "a small piece of art that conveys a message simply through being worn."

Two Perspectives (Axes)

①The Axis of Beauty

• Enjoying the brilliance of materials and craftsmanship.

②The Axis of Concept

• Wearing stories and ideas like "love," "freedom," or "environmental issues."

Jewelry's 3-Step Evolution

• Adornment → Display: Showing status with gems and gold.
• Motifs → Storytelling: Expressing feelings with hearts and initials.
• Questioning → Tool for Thought: Becoming small works that pose political and social questions.

How to Enjoy It?

• Beyond just wearing your favorite design,
• Think, "What is this trying to convey?"
• And discuss it with those around you!

Jewelry is evolving from mere "adornment" into "a small messenger carrying your thoughts and values." Please enjoy your own unique story!

 

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Chapter 1: Introduction — A New Way to Enjoy Jewelry

1.1 Problem Statement: Why Reconsider Jewelry Now?

For a long time, jewelry has been recognized as adornment, a symbol of social status, and a medium for gifting. Particularly in modern Western consumer society, it has been a material symbol embodying "value" through rare materials and exceptional craftsmanship, with its value closely tied to economic capital (Veblen, 1899).

However, in contemporary times, there is a notable trend towards seeking symbolic value (meaningful value) beyond material worth. Emphasis is placed on resonance with individual philosophies and social messages, and jewelry is transforming from mere adornment into a "medium for thought."

1.2 Purpose and Research Questions of This Paper

This paper analyzes the evolution of the value structure of jewelry from cultural and art theoretical perspectives to clarify the significance of "conceptual jewelry" as it emerges in contemporary society.

It focuses on the following questions:

• How is jewelry transforming from "adornment" into a "medium for thought"?
• What impact has the transformation of contemporary art values had on jewelry expression?
• How do concepts presented by brands and artists resonate with consumers, forming a shared space of meaning?

1.3 Research Background and Theoretical Framework

The discussion refers to the following theories:

• Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital: A perspective that views the value of jewelry as context-dependent symbolic value (Bourdieu, 1984).
• Contemporary art theory: The meaning of a work is generated between the artist's intention and the recipient's interpretation (Danto, 1997).
• Object-discourse theory (Chiara Scarpitti): A perspective that views jewelry as a "material sign" mediating thought.
• Consumer society theory and semiotics: The role of objects in the consumption of meaning, the construction of symbols, and the formation of individual identity (Bauman, 2007; Barthes, 1972).

Based on these, this paper examines whether jewelry can function as a site for social and conceptual discourse, transcending mere aesthetic representation.

1.4 Chapter Structure

The structure of this paper is as follows:

• Chapter 2: The Evolution of Jewelry Values and Social Context
• Chapter 3: The Two-Axis Structure of Jewelry — Beauty and Concept
• Chapter 4: Specific Analysis of the Relationship between Jewelry and Concept
• Chapter 5: Conclusion — A New Perspective on Jewelry and Future Implications

This demonstrates that jewelry exists as a multi-layered cultural practice, standing between the individual and society, and between adornment and expression.

1.5 Concluding Remarks: What Does Jewelry Speak Of?

While jewelry is a silent object, it encapsulates diverse narratives. Beyond love and memory, it harbors multifaceted meaning generation, including questions to the era, dialogue with the self, and social positioning.

The fundamental research question of this paper is to reposition the nature of jewelry not merely as an extension of fashion, but as a cultural and philosophical endeavor.

 

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Chapter 2: The Two Axes of Jewelry and Its Emerging Directions

2.1 Jewelry as the Pursuit of Beauty

Historically, jewelry has been regarded as an adornment symbolizing both aesthetic and material value through rare materials (such as diamonds, gold, and platinum) and exquisite craftsmanship. This value system of jewelry can be understood as "capital of beauty" linked to social class.

In Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, artistic taste serves as a mechanism for the reproduction of upper classes, and jewelry, through its "visual brilliance" and "refined aesthetics," is also a form of symbolic capital that visualizes hierarchical superiority (Bourdieu, 1984).

Here, jewelry functioned as a social representation for "the beholder," and its value primarily depended on external evaluation.

2.2 The Development of Concept: Jewelry as a Sign

Since the early 21st century, particularly alongside the rise of the urban middle class and female consumers, jewelry has transformed from a mere aesthetic object into a symbolic entity imbued with meaning (Featherstone, 2007).Abstract concepts such as "love," "bond," "freedom," and "independence" have been materialized through motifs like hearts, keys, constellations, and initials, becoming consumed in conjunction with brand stories.

This role of jewelry is an extension of Bourdieu's habitus (embodied cultural capital). That is, an individual's tastes and cultural preferences are reflected in their choice of jewelry, which in turn constructs their social identity and position.

2.3 Jewelry as Contemporary Art-like Conceptual Expression

Furthermore, in recent years, based on Chiara Scarpitti's (2021) theory, jewelry is being redefined as object-discourse.

“Contemporary jewelry has moved beyond decoration, becoming a medium that stimulates thought and embodies conceptual narratives.”

— Scarpitti, The Contemporary Jewelry Perspective, 2021

Here, jewelry transcends mere ornamentation and emotional representation, becoming a device for thought that mediates political, social, and philosophical themes. For example, themes such as environmental issues, gender, memory, and corporeality are incorporated into its design, materials, and production techniques, thereby reconstructing jewelry as a "speaking object."

Such conceptual jewelry is no longer a traditional symbol of wealth; instead, it is increasingly characterized as a medium that expresses the wearer's cultural subjectivity and creates a resonant space of meaning.

2.4 From Adornment to Thought: A Corporeal Device for Meaning Generation

The value shift described above enables a perspective that views jewelry not merely as a part of fashion, but as a portable discourse.

In light of Bourdieu's theory, jewelry serves as a means to visualize the cultural capital of the upper classes, while contemporary jewelry is also beginning to function as a site for subcultural resistance and minority self-expression.

In other words, jewelry is now imbued not only with traditional symbolic capital (authority, wealth) but also with alternative symbolic capital (e.g., feminist significance, environmental consciousness, redefinition of bodily sensation).

2.5 Summary: Bifurcation and Expanding Semantic Space

As demonstrated in this chapter, contemporary jewelry is being re-evaluated along two distinct dimensions: the "axis of beauty" and the "axis of concept."

• The axis of beauty: Traditional values based on material, craftsmanship, and aesthetics.
• The axis of concept: Symbolic value based on meaning, narrative, and social statement.

This two-axis structure provides the theoretical ground for redefining jewelry not merely as adornment, but as cultural capital, symbolic capital, and representational practice. Jewelry is no longer something to be "worn," but is evolving into something that "makes one think."

 

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Chapter 3: The Relationship between Jewelry and Conceptual Meaning

3.1 The Rise of Narrativity in Brand Jewelry

In recent years, brand jewelry has shifted from merely competing on the lavishness of materials or the intricacy of craftsmanship to becoming a "symbolic object embodying narratives."

For example, some iconic pieces from luxury jewelry brands incorporate motifs and structures imbued with symbolic meanings such as love, belonging, or good fortune. These works are designed not to be complete simply through ownership, but to narrate their stories and unfold the wearer’s experience through being worn.

This trend resonates with the perspective of "object-discourse" (speaking object) proposed by Chiara Scarpitti (2021). Jewelry is no longer a static object; it is positioned as a "narrator that poses questions and builds relationships."

“Objects move now in a multi-faceted direction, aimed at asking questions and expressing concepts, becoming narrative and relational ‘subjects’.”

— Scarpitti (2021)

Here, jewelry functions as a "narrative subject," generating meaning by forming relationships with the wearer's body, memory, and identity.

3.2 Jewelry and Self-Expression: Its Role as Symbolic Capital

In light of Bourdieu's (1984) theories of cultural and symbolic capital, contemporary jewelry takes on a strategic function as symbolic capital.

While jewelry in the past carried hierarchical and gendered meanings within the structure of "gifting from men to women," there is now a rise in jewelry "chosen/worn by women themselves." This shift marks a crucial turning point, transforming jewelry from a gift into a medium for self-narrativization.

This choice is not merely a matter of taste but is rooted in the self-image one wishes to project and the narratives with which one resonates, constituting a practical judgment grounded in Bourdieu's concept of habitus (cultural embodiment).Simultaneously, it also plays a role in resonating with the wearer's internal structure as "object-thought" (an object that prompts thought), as described by Scarpitti.

3.3 The Concept of "Meaningful Jewelry"

In postmodern consumer society, jewelry is positioned not merely as adornment or an investment object, but as part of the "narrativization of the self" (Bauman, 2007).

In this process, jewelry acquires a two-layered semantic structure:

• Explicit meaning: Stories and symbolism embedded in motifs and textual expressions.
• Implicit meaning: Personal context linked to the wearer's memories, experiences, and beliefs.

Through this two-layered structure, jewelry becomes a medium for negotiating meaning between the wearer and others. Because both "the beholder" and "the wearer" interpret and reconstruct its narrative, jewelry functions as a dynamic meaning-generating device.

3.4 Transformation of Design: From Enhancing Gems to Entrusting Meaning

Values in jewelry design have also undergone significant transformation. While the traditional focus was on how to best highlight the beauty of gemstones, the current trend is shifting towards "design itself speaking meaning."

For example, the following trends can be observed:

• Inclusion jewelry: Expressing the aesthetics of flaws and imperfections by intentionally exposing the imperfections within gemstones.
• Ethical jewelry: Incorporating environmental ethics and critiques of production backgrounds by using recycled materials or synthetic stones.
• Alternative jewelry: Designing forms that question bodily asymmetry or gender norms.

These examples symbolize the process by which jewelry shifts from material beauty to conceptual value. Transcending its role as adornment, jewelry, as a corporeal medium that questions, speaks, and asserts, overlaps with contemporary artistic practices.

Summary: Jewelry is a Device for Generating Signs and Narratives

In this chapter, we confirmed the contemporary trend of jewelry functioning as a "speaking object" (meaningful narrator). The increased narrativity in brand jewelry, the cultural capital implications of self-selected wearing, and the two-layered semantic structure along with the critical transformation of design all indicate that jewelry is no longer mere adornment.

Jewelry possesses a complex character as symbolic capital, semiotic capital, and cultural capital, and is being redefined as the smallest unit of cultural practice in consumer society = "a speaking device."

 

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Chapter 4: The Evolutionary Phases of Jewelry and Its Future

4.1 Presenting the Framework: A Three-Stage Evolutionary Model of Jewelry

This chapter presents a three-stage model for the value structure and evolution of jewelry. This model illustrates the process of shifting emphasis from material value to semantic value as follows:

These three stages illustrate the evolution of jewelry from an adornment to a medium that stimulates thought, and are consistent with Bourdieu's theory of symbolic struggle within cultural capital, as well as Scarpitti's object-discourse theory.

4.2 1st Stage: Jewelry of Material and Craftsmanship

At this stage, the value of jewelry was strongly other-oriented, conscious of "the gaze of the beholder," and functioned as a medium to visualize the authority and status of the wealthy. This value system, supported by material resources such as precious metals and gemstones, was closely related to feudal hierarchical orders and aesthetic hierarchies under patronage systems.

Furthermore, jewelry at this stage was, so to speak, "jewelry-for-display," existing as a signifier of the owner's social symbols (cf. Veblen, 1899).

4.3 2nd Stage: Jewelry of Motifs and Narratives

From the late 20th century to the present, with the emergence of fashion brands and mass-market jewelry manufacturers, jewelry began to embody universal narratives (love, memory, destiny). This transformed jewelry from "something chosen" to "something narrated."

Iconic jewelry presented by brands became symbolic items linked to individual experiences and memories, and wearers reconstructed meaning by overlaying these stories onto their own narratives.

Here, jewelry functions as "jewelry-as-narrative."

4.4 3rd Stage: Questioning Jewelry

Furthermore, today, influenced by contemporary art, jewelry is evolving into a medium for thought that includes "questions" and "statements." What Scarpitti calls "object-discourse" precisely corresponds to this stage. For example, the following types of works are examples of this stage:

• Politically charged jewelry (e.g., designs addressing gender or immigration issues)
• Material critique (e.g., works using recycled or non-gemstone materials)
• Reconsideration of corporeality (e.g., installation-like jewelry that deviates from typical wearing locations)

• Initiatives that merge cultural symbolism with participatory art practices, creating platforms for social dialogue and collective meaning-making (e.g.,Mr. & Mrs. Abe "Project Prunus Mume")

Such jewelry functions as "jewelry-to-think-with," visualizing a critical attitude towards the world through the wearer's corporeality. Here, jewelry is not limited to self-expression but is part of social practice.

4.5 Jewelry as a Medium: The Advantage of Smallness and Freedom

One reason jewelry can function as a medium for such social and philosophical expression lies in its small size, physicality, and portability. Because of its compact scale, it can encapsulate highly concentrated meaning and elicit more immediate and direct reactions than clothing or large-scale artworks.

This is precisely jewelry as "the smallest unit of media imbued with meaning." Scarpitti calls this a "medium of thought," emphasizing the potential social efficacy of jewelry.

Summary: The Potential of Jewelry for the Future

Jewelry is moving away from its traditional roles as a "symbol of wealth" or "token of love." It is now acquiring the potential to serve as an interface where the self and others, individuals and society, body and sign intersect.

This trend is an extension of the historical dynamics that have transformed jewelry into "something to be seen," "something to be narrated," and "something to be questioned."

Going forward, jewelry will continue to evolve as "wearable thought" and "portable values," connecting with diverse fields such as art, philosophy, social critique, ethics, and gender.

 

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Chapter 5: Conclusion — Toward a New Aesthetic and Conceptual Enjoyment of Jewelry

5.1 From Adornment to Discourse: The Transformation of Jewelry

As argued throughout this paper, jewelry has transformed beyond mere adornment or a symbol of gifting, becoming a medium that embodies individual values, social attitudes, and thought itself. This change can be seen as a process in which the "externalized self" as an ornament transforms into a "vessel for thought" and a "device for social critique."

This transformation is underpinned by the following composite trends:

• Transformation of art values: The trend in contemporary art where ideas, questions, and relationships are emphasized over technique and reproducibility (Danto, 1997).
• Maturation of consumer culture: A shift in value from ownership to experience, and then to empathy and narrative (Bauman, 2007).
• Jewelry as cultural capital: The repositioning of jewelry to function within intellectual and critical contexts (Bourdieu, 1984).

Thus, jewelry is beginning to function as an "infrastructure of meaning." This is not merely a value shift, but a proposal for new corporeal and conceptual experiences: wearing = expression / resonance = participation.

5.2 Significance and Potential of Conceptual Jewelry

The framework of conceptual jewelry presented in this paper offers new ways of enjoyment, such as:

• Jewelry as a starting point for thought: By wearing it, it becomes a device for daily contemplation of one's beliefs and questions.
• Jewelry as a catalyst for social discourse: A minuscule medium for messages that prompts thought in beholders and interlocutors.
• Manifestation of cultural literacy: In Bourdieu's terms, contextual and symbolic understanding of jewelry can visualize the wearer's cultural capital.

Such functions of jewelry hold significance as a unique device that creates points of contact between artistic perspectives and social contexts, while possessing a bodily intimacy and portability distinct from clothing, crafts, or sculpture.

5.3 The Future of Jewelry: Towards an Era of Wearing Thought

Going forward, the following directions will likely be important in the world of jewelry:

• Presentation of decentralized values: An increase in individualistic and critical jewelry, moving away from structures of wealth, gender, and gifting.
• Deepening of material critique: Ethical and philosophical questions regarding materials and production processes are integrated into design concepts.
• Expansion of intermediality: New experiments at the intersection of fashion, contemporary art, and technology.

These trends will be evaluated as attempts to create intersections of temporality, selfhood, and otherness through the micro-medium of jewelry.

5.4 Concluding Remarks: What Do We Entrust to Jewelry?

Ultimately, the fundamental question is: "What meaning do we find and entrust to jewelry?" Traditionally, it has been universal values such as love, memory, and beauty. However, future jewelry can serve as a device for identity confirmation in uncertain times, and simultaneously as a medium for critical intervention in society.

The enjoyment of jewelry is quietly yet surely shifting away from an era defined by competition for asset value or ostentation to a contemplative experience that generates meaning and dialogue.

At that time, we are entrusting an unprecedented richness of "thoughts," "narratives," and "values" to the minuscule object that is jewelry.

 

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References

Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. Hill and Wang.

Bauman, Z. (2007). Consuming Life. Polity Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Harvard University Press.

Danto, A. C. (1997). After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History. Princeton University Press.

Featherstone, M. (2007). Consumer Culture and Postmodernism. SAGE.

Gell, A. (1998). Art and Agency: An Anthropological Theory. Clarendon Press.

Scarpitti, C. (2021). The contemporary jewelry perspective. Meanings and evolutions of a necessary practice. Journal of Jewellery Research – Volume 04

Turner, V. (1969). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Aldine Transaction.

Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. Macmillan.