Lord’s Supper.
Later that night, Judas brought men to
arrest Jesus, and Jesus was sentenced to
death. He was crucified, or nailed to a
cross. He died on the cross and was buried
nearby.
On the third day after that, a group of
women went to Jesus’ tomb and found
the body gone. The Gospels tell that
Jesus then appeared to one of the
women, Mary Magdalene, and to the
disciples. He spent 40 days on Earth
after his Resurrection, or return from
the dead, and then was taken up to
heaven.
The story of Jesus’ Resurrection is central
to Christian belief. His apostles continued
to teach his message after his
death, and as that message spread,
Christianity was born.
..More to explore
Bible • Christianity • Judaism • Palestine
Jewelry and
Gems
Jewelry is any object other than clothes
that is worn to decorate the body. People
use many different materials in making
jewelry. Fine jewelry is made of valuable
A girl wears a necklace made of beads and
shells.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Jewelry and Gems 23
metals, such as gold and silver, and
beautiful stones called gems. Jewelry
that is made of plastic, steel, ceramics,
glass, or other less costly materials is
called costume jewelry. People who still
live as their ancient ancestors did make
jewelry from bone, claws, animal hair,
wood, and shells.
The Importance of Jewelry
People wear jewelry for many reasons.
Kings, queens, and other leaders have
often worn fine jewelry at important
ceremonies and events. Some people
wear jewelry for religious reasons. Many
people wear jewelry to mark an important
life event. For example, many men
and women give each other rings at their
weddings.
Types of Gems
Most gems are hard minerals that are
found naturally in the earth. However,
a few gems come from animals or
plants. Pearls form inside the shells of
oysters, clams, and other animals called
mollusks. Amber is tree sap that has
fossilized, or turned to stone. Jet is a
hard form of brown coal, which is
made from fossilized plants. Coral
comes from the skeletons of sea animals
called corals.
The color of gems ranges from colorless
to pure black. Gems may be transparent
(see-through) or opaque, which means
that light cannot shine through them.
Among the rarest and most valuable
gems are diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
and sapphires. These gems are all transparent
minerals. Diamonds may be yellow,
pink, blue, or black. Rubies are red,
and emeralds are green. Sapphires may
be blue, violet, yellow, green, or almost
black.
Other valuable gems include jade, carnelian,
and lapis lazuli. These gems are
opaque. Jade is usually green, but it can
also be pink, white, or lavender. Carnelian
is red or reddish brown. Lapis lazuli
is blue with gold-colored flecks in it.
The crown of Queen Victoria, who ruled the
United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901, is
filled with diamonds.
Some pearls form naturally inside the shells
of mollusks. Other pearls, called cultured
pearls, form after people stick beads or
other tiny objects inside a mollusk’s shell.
24 Jewelry and Gems BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
History
People have been making jewelry for
tens of thousands of years. Ancient
peoples made jewelry from teeth and
animal bones. People began making
jewelry from gold more than 4,000 years
ago. In ancient times and in the Middle
Ages people shaped and polished gems
to make them round and shiny. In the
1400s people discovered how to cut
gems to give them many flat surfaces
called facets. Facets make gems sparkle.
In the 1800s people learned how to
make artificial, or fake, gems.
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Mineral
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc is a national heroine of
France. Born a peasant, she became a
military leader while just a teenager.
Joan of Arc was born in Domremy,
France, probably in 1412. At the time
France and England were fighting the
Hundred Years’War. Reims, the city
where French kings traditionally were
crowned, was in enemy hands. As a
teenager Joan claimed that the voices of
saints commanded her to drive the
English out of northern France. Charles
VII, heir to the French throne, could
then be crowned king in Reims.
Joan traveled far to visit Charles at his
castle. Some of Charles’s advisers were
suspicious of her. Church officials
thought she might be a witch. They
asked her many questions. Finally they
advised Charles to use Joan’s services.
Joan inspired the French troops with her
great spirit. In 1429 she led them to
victory over the English in a battle in the
French city of Orleans. The army then
entered Reims. Joan stood beside
Charles VII as he was crowned king.
Joan fought other battles, too. In 1430
she got separated from her soldiers and
was forced to surrender. The English put
her on trial. She was charged with
witchcraft and other crimes against the
church. She had to confess to wrongdoing
or be put to death.
Joan confessed but then changed her
mind. She said that saints had criticized
her for confessing. On May 30, 1431,
she was burned to death at the stake.
She was just 19 years old. Years later a
church court canceled the judgment
Joan of Arc watched as Charles VII was
crowned king of France in 1429.
