Jewelry is a decorative art, usually made from precious metals and gemstones. It is often a sign of social status or a symbol of personal meaning, and can be worn as part of a costume. Jewellery can also be a talisman or amulet, protecting against evil, bringing good luck, and so on.

Figural images, including animals and humans, are popular motifs for both costume and fine jewelry. They may be depicted in a flat or three-dimensional miniature, and are used to decorate bracelet charms, pendants, rings, brooches and earrings.

Garland Motifs: Typically, these designs are made from carved gems or wrought gold. They are found on Renaissance, Georgian and Edwardian era jewelry, as well as contemporary pieces, but they have been in use for many years.

Tassels: Necklace tassels can be fashioned from pearls, beads carved from gemstones or even fine chains. These tassels hang from necklaces, pendants or bracelets and can be embellished with flowers, vines, birds or other patterns.

Gardinetto: Similarly, these floral patterns are usually crafted from carved gemstones or wrought gold and are seen on Renaissance, Georgian and Edwardian jewelry, as well as contemporary pieces. They are sometimes depicted as flowers rising from a basket or vase.

Mosaic: A mosaic is a design created by arranging tiny colorful pieces on a larger surface to create a pattern. Mosaics are commonly found in engraved and painted works of art, but can be made from a variety of materials, from paper to gemstones.

The term “jewelry” is derived from the Old French word, jouel, which translates as “plaything”. It is now used in British English, Indian English and New Zealand English, but in the Middle Ages was referred to as joaillerie in French and other European languages.

Jewelry has a long history in India and other countries of the Indian subcontinent, and was developed over 5,000 years. Its development was influenced by a variety of factors, including political and cultural changes.

During the Bronze Age, jewellery was made from cast or hammered sheet metals. The former was forged into various shapes and sizes using moulds, with the two halves joined together by wax or another liquid to preserve the metal work. The hammered sheet type was also common and the technique had been in use since the late Bronze Age.

Ancient Greeks were a great innovator of the gold and gemstone art, but the technique was eventually lost in the West, with most artisanship moving to China around 1500 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization, in particular, produced many forms of gold jewellery, including earrings and bracelets as early as 1500 BC.

Other forms of ancient gold jewellery include the armring (13th century BC), brooch (10th century BC) and pins (7th century BC). The form of a brooch is still a popular choice in contemporary jewelry design, although some people prefer to wear a single strand of beads instead of a brooch for convenience.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, jewellery was often associated with class and wealth, with the wealthy wearing suites of matching rings, earrings, necklaces and brooches. Napoleon Bonaparte resurrected this style when he became emperor in 1804, and the era saw cameos and parures appear for the first time, as well as the revival of costume jewellery.

Recycling is an economic and environmental solution that reduces the amount of raw materials needed for production, saves energy and greenhouse gases, prevents pollution, protects the environment and increases the life expectancy of products. It also helps to reduce the cost of manufacturing new products and conserves land, water and resources.

Recycled material, or “feedstock,” is the basic building block of a wide range of recycled products. It includes items such as glass, metal, plastic, textiles and organic waste.

During recycling, a variety of materials are melted together to make something new. This process takes energy to melt the materials, but the energy savings over a lifetime of use are often significant.

In addition, recycled materials are often less expensive than their virgin counterparts because they can be processed at lower costs. This is especially true for metals, which can be used in a variety of ways and require much less energy than making them from scratch.

For example, making a steel can from scrap aluminum requires 95% less energy than producing it from new raw aluminum. Using a recycled steel can also cuts back on mining and transport costs by up to ninety-seven percent.

Another big benefit of recycling is that it helps to eliminate deforestation. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 4,000 kilowatts of energy. It also cuts back on emissions and the need for prime real estate in landfills for waste that is not recyclable.

Recyclables are sent to a recovery facility where they are sorted, cleaned and then processed into different types of materials that can be used in manufacturing. These can include cardboard, paper, tin, glass, plastic and textiles.

These can be bought and sold just like raw materials. Prices vary depending on the demand for these materials and how much supply is available.

Some companies, such as Consumer Reports (CR), have established strategic partnerships with suppliers that enable them to guarantee competitive prices on recycled products for a certain number of years. These partnerships help to ensure that recycled products will continue to be competitive and can provide an added revenue stream.

CR has also helped to establish the Buy Recycled Business Alliance, which is a group of 33 business organizations that have committed to buying recycled-content products and raw feedstock for internal use in their businesses. They have accounted for more than $3 billion in purchases from recycled-content raw materials and products over the past year.

The Buy Recycled Business Alliance focuses on creating demand for recycled-content raw materials, such as paper, bottles and cans. It has a long list of participating members that include Bank of America, American Airlines, Bell Atlantic and Coca-Cola.

To maximize the value of these partnerships, the business and government organizations need to work together to develop a sustainable system that combines the needs of each party. The goal is to build a market for recycled materials that can help to solve societal problems such as climate change and pollution. The key is a coordinated business-government program that creates a demand for recycled-content goods while also ensuring that the supply of these materials can be managed effectively.