ew el ers ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Europe ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁j ew el ry ' s ▁value ▁was ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁pre cious ness ▁of ▁its ▁materials . ▁Initial ly , ▁art ▁j ew el ers ▁worked ▁in ▁pre cious ▁or ▁semi - pre cious ▁materials , ▁but ▁emphas ized ▁art istic ▁expression ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁quality ▁of ▁their ▁work , ▁linking ▁their ▁j ew el ry ▁to ▁modern ist ▁art ▁movements ▁such ▁as ▁bi omorphism , ▁primit iv ism ▁and ▁t ach isme . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁art ▁j ew el ers ▁began ▁to ▁introduce ▁new , ▁alternative ▁materials ▁into ▁their ▁work , ▁such ▁as ▁al umin ium ▁and ▁ac ry lic s , ▁breaking ▁with ▁the ▁historical ▁role ▁of ▁j ew el ry ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁status ▁and ▁economic ▁value ▁or ▁port able ▁wealth . ▁As ▁the ▁focus ▁on ▁value ▁gave ▁way , ▁other ▁them es ▁took ▁its ▁place ▁as ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁j ew el ry . ▁Writing ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Peter ▁D orm er ▁described ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁critique ▁of ▁pre cious ness ▁as ▁follows : ▁" First , ▁the ▁mon et ary ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁becomes ▁irrelevant ; ▁second , ▁once ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁j ew el ry ▁as ▁a ▁status ▁symbol ▁had ▁been ▁def l ated , ▁the ▁relation ▁between ▁the ▁orn ament ▁and ▁the ▁human ▁body ▁once ▁again ▁assumed ▁a ▁dominant ▁position ▁- ▁j ew el ry ▁became ▁body