GREENWICH, CONN.- The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut presents the new exhibition Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry from July 16, 2011, through February 26, 2012, featuring a magnificent array of different types of jewelry as well as samplings of minerals, precious stones and other materials from which artists have created an infinite variety of human adornment. The exhibition is organized by the Bruce Museum’s new Curator of Science, Dr. Gina C. Gould, and is supported by Betteridge Jewelers, the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund, Anne and Fred Elser, and Hank and Meryl Silverstein.

Jewelry: It is the universal means to transmit personal information—marital status, wealth, heritage, and aesthetics. An artifact of world history, jewelry is evidence that the Earth, human culture, and technology have evolved.

The known history of personal adornment extends thousands of years. Humans have adorned themselves with everything from shark’s teeth to diamonds to tattoos. Exotically rare or hard to get items are the most coveted: until now.

In this “Age of Sustainability,” jewelry artists are experimenting with both new and long forgotten materials and techniques. This trend is pushing the envelope in jewelry design and has set the stage for a renewed appreciation for the intimacy between art and science.

Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry investigates the wide range of materials used to make jewelry, from bones and fossils to diamonds and CZs. Bijoux explores the ingenuity of artists to create adornment from a host of materials, from the common to the sublime. It delves into the genesis of these natural materials and explores the economic and environmental impact of our universal attraction to sparkle. Bijoux is a celebration of human nature and our ability to adapt.