Jewelry Crafting History in Focus

(Year 232, Spring) Jewelry crafting was always a big thing in Mazaloom kingdom. These days the interest for unique pieces of necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets have reached a new top, and it's time to have a look into the history, rules and restrictions - not to forget some of the interesting side careers!

Mazaloom has a system of Produce Deeds. They are certificates that can be bought in order to sell crafted goods more easily through the "drag & drop" system. Without such a Deed, you can still craft whatever you like, but unless you intend to keep or gift your produce, it can only be sold from a retail store or a sales table.

The number of Produce Deeds for Jewelry is very limited, and this is where the toughest restriction ticks in - there are only room for TWO professional business! One is already held by House of Rab-Saxor, who runs the Jespers Jewelry Broker business in Magnolia Promenade. The second deed is vacant!

Jewelry History

Back in the Medieval era jewelry was crafted by the Blacksmiths. It all started when the King issued a Royal Act (Year 47) assigning signature Gems to identify high nobility who fell in wars: Crystals for the dukes and metals for the counts and barons. Their swords were to be decorated with their Crystal for identification, and this became most blacksmiths\' first jewelry approach aside of the royal crown and a few royal duelling swords crafted to impress.

When the long war ended (Year 81), the traditional swords were no longer much requested. Military strategies had changed and the Royal Forces now ordered canon balls instead. This meant the smiths had more time on their hands to explore and create new stuff including the assigned crystals. The Gemology Act was expanded by King Wizar and from Year 82 also the oldest son wore a ring, and highest ranked females wore similar jewelry. This way the Houses stayed associated with their assigned Gems, even during the more peaceful periods. Those gems are still important to the top families, but the Houses are no longer ranked by Gemology. For istance, today's Royal House has no assigned Crystal at all, because at the time of the Gemology Act they only held a county, which served them the uncommon Metal Crytunium.

The early jewelry crafting was very rough, but the typical customers came from Aristocracy, who wanted their bling to be recognized from a distance. Big was fine, shiny was perfect! Their assigned Gem was often involved, but not always. Over the years the rare Crystals and Metals were discovered, and they became even more popular and valuable with jewelry.

The best known Blacksmith is Victor Saxor (pictured). He is also seen as our first Jeweller. Back in the early Medieval years he founded the House of Saxor, and King Baltazar granted him the Meadows dukedom, still held by his descendants. They inherited some old jewelry crafted by him.

Fun fact: Blacksmith Victor Saxor was one of the main characters in the Mazaloom Medieval video series. It can still be watched on Youtube.

Mining Industry

During nobility's prime period, up to the Great Revolution in Year 118, jewelry crafting was a big industry. Gems were traded east and west, and in most regions there were local jewelry crafters. Following the revolution the ball rooms closed down, and the crafters were mostly restricted to secluded areas like Glimmerbrook and Moonwood Mill. Not because jewelry crafting was illegal, but because their most wealthy customers let the industry down.

As far as we know, Crafthole is our oldest mining community. Their mines provided iron and more for the early sword production, and later on for the canon balls. Much later the Copperdale mines were discovered (Year 148), this lead to the foundation of Copperdale. They found much more than copper, something anyone who visited the Copperdale Mining Museum can verify.

Archive photo from the organizing of the Copperdale Mining Museum, today one of Copperdale's attractions.

At the same time, also the Sulani Mines made great success (established around Year 150). Although being located in a different kingdom, Sulani Mine's main owned origined from Mazaloom, which explains that plenty of their gems were traded with Mazaloom kingdom.

Side Businesses

Back then, and now, the jewelry crafting caused work not only for the crafter. Each crafter needed metals and gems for their production and they also needed ways to sell their goods. So we got Jewelry crafters, Collectors and Sellers.

Collectors heloped providing resources. Because collecting such things was rather time consuming, many Jewelry crafters found it better to buy from Collecters. Each Collector would simply travel around to trace valuables, then stop by the Jeweller to sell the goods. Some Collectors got a regular pay while others got paid depending on what they provided.

Aldo Sellers got affiliated with this business. The crafter would often prefer to spend time on the crafting, so they could pay a Seller to help with the sales. The Crafters could also sell their goods to a retail store.

There was only one service where the Jewelry crafter made all the money. A customer could bring what was needed for the ordered piece, in order to have crafted a unique and high quality item. To some finer families there could be a symbolic metal or gem, based on traditions. Or the color of the gem simplky reflected their coat of arms. In such cases, the custome took on the role as Collector, and the Seller was not needed.

Jewelry Crafting of Today

Today the Trades & Taxes Department decides how the jewelry business shall work.

They have already decided that two professional Jewelry Crafters will be enough for our kingdom. Anyone can learn the Gemology skill and craft their own jewelries, so the restriction only limits the bigger scale businesses. One of the Jewelry Produce Deeds is taken by the well established Jesper Jewelry Broker. The other one is available to anyone who wants to go big on this.

Jasper Jewelry Broker focus mainly on finding new owners for old and expensive pieces, such as tiaras and parures worn by nobility. But the owner is well skilled in Gemology, and also crafts a few items. If you own a piece of metal and a gem, this is where you can order jewelry crafted with your stuff. At Jasper Jewelry Broker you can also lease what you need for a gala dinner, and an important part of the packet is guidance by the owner.

Erica J. Rab-Saxor, Baroness of Prome in her jewelry store.

If you want to go small scale the deed is not needed. Then you need a crafting bench, resources like metals and crystals, and little by little you will build the required skill. You can create bling for yourself to wear, or you can gift or sell items to others (nobility and celebrities might like your designs).

With all possible combinations of metals and crystals you can choose from about 1000 designs. Let's hope you have a few favorite materials, otherwise it might get hard to deside...