Jewelry has been used to symbolize emotions, both through the use of stones and the jewelry designs themselves. Tears have been represented by tiny seed pearls, eternal love by a serpent or lizard. Certain gems have been thought to have healing or magic properties. People through the ages have worn their lucky charms to bring wealth, happiness, and love or to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. The Egyptians were among the first to unite precious stones like amethyst, turquoise and lapis lazuli with metal. Ahead of their time, they also used enameling. Many drawings of Egyptians show them wearing two bracelets on each arm, one on the wrist and another above the elbow. The art of jewelry making was refined between the early 1700s and 1900 during the Georgian and Victorian eras in Europe. It was in this creative period that wonderful cameos and lockets made their debut. The silvery-white platinum came onto the scene at the turn of the 20th Century. The period known as the “Roaring Twenties” saw a huge demand for jewelry. It was during this time that a new style made its appearance during the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes. It was unusual because it featured abstract geometric forms and shapes using such diverse designs as those created by the Aztecs and Egyptians, and combined them with modern art. This new style, "Art Deco," took its name from the renowned Paris fair. By the 1940s "Retro Modern" was popular. It is easily recognized by its very large pieces featuring flamboyant curves and bows. Yellow, pink and even green gold was used in this jewelry, along with unusual mixtures of colored gemstones. World War II created a shortage of platinum, so most jewelry was made of gold and silver. In recent years, platinum has enjoyed an enormous resurgence in popularity. It has, once again, became the dominant precious metal for all fine jewelry. The early 1990s also saw the debut of current classics like the tennis bracelet, diamond solitaire pendants and designer jewelry. Most jewelry experts agree that today's jewelry consumers are the luckiest — they have the widest choice of styles and designs ever available, using diamonds and dozens of different colored gemstones in an amazing array of cuts and shapes. This promises to be the best era ever for jewelry.