Jewelry is made up of small decorative items for personal decoration, such as broochs, rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Jewelry can be attached to the body or clothing, and the term is limited to durable decorations, such as flowers. For many centuries, the metal commonly used in combination with gemstones has been the regular material for jewelry, but other materials, such as shells and other plant materials, can also be used. It's one of the oldest archaeological artefacts - 100000 year old beads made from Nassarius shells, considered to be the oldest known jewelry. The basic forms of jewelry vary from culture to culture, but they often last a long time. Since ancient times, the most common form of jewelry mentioned above has existed in European culture, while other forms that are important in other cultures (such as nose or ankle decorations) are rare. Historically, the most extensive influence in jewelry design and style comes from Asia.

Jewelry can be made of a variety of materials. Gems and similar materials (such as amber and coral), precious metals, beads and shells have been widely used, and enamel is often important. In most cultures, jewelry can be understood as a state symbol because of its material characteristics, patterns or meaningful symbols. From hairpins to toe rings and even genital jewelry, jewelry can decorate almost every part of the body. Among different cultures, men and women, children and the elderly may wear jewelry in different ways, but adult women have always been the most stable people to wear jewelry. In modern European culture, compared with other cultures and other periods in European culture, the wearing amount of adult men is relatively low.

The word jewelry itself comes from the word jewelry, which comes from the ancient French "jouel", in addition to the Latin "jocale", which means play. In British English, Indian English, New Zealand English, Siberian English, Australian English and South African English, it is the jewelry of spelling, while spelling is the jewelry of American English. Both are used in Canadian English, although jewelry has a two-to-one advantage. In French and some other European languages, the term "Joaillerie" may also cover metalwork decorated with precious metals, such as works of art and church objects, rather than just things worn on people.