Why Does Jewelry Do So Much for a Woman’s Beauty?

We have all seen a person go from not wearing any sort of jewelry to putting on “a little something” – and in most of our cases, it actually upgraded how we viewed that particular person. With men, jewelry tends to either be gaudy or extremely subdued. It is a very subtle symbol of a man’s status in the world. Nevertheless, with women, the sky is the limit. Whether she wants to cover herself in Tiffany and spend more than many of us make in a year, or if she wears a tasteful assortment of Judith Ripka pieces, there is just something special about a woman who is wearing jewelry. It just seems to take the beauty that is already there, and kick it up a notch or two. But why is it that we view a woman’s beauty as growing dramatically when she wears jewelry, and not as a subtle status upgrade, the way we would perceive it when a man wears jewelry? Perhaps it is because wearing jewelry symbolizes that one has attained a certain level of status, and is able to “waste” an amount of energy and wealth. But while the idea that she has wealth (or is aligned with a man who does) can be attractive, that is not what men are drawn to in most instances. The ornamentation that females have developed for attracting men works a bit differently. A female has three primary facets that determine whether she is reproductively viable, or “beautiful:” her overall genetic lineage, her ability to produce offspring, and her personal health. One’s genetic lineage can be seen on one’s face – a symmetrical face and an evenly formed body means that one’s genes are good, and that one grew up in reasonable health. A woman’s ability to reproduce is represented by having some fat reserves (80,000 calories, approximately), and her waist to hip ratio (.67 being ideal). And the most initially visible component is her personal health, which is represented by clear, smooth skin. As jewelry draws the eye to that skin (and to that midsection), it “creates” beauty by keeping attention where it belongs.