Kazakh jewelry art is the art of jewelry made of gold, silver and other metals, precious stones, as well as jewelry making using bones and horns of cattle and animals, decorating a yurt, furniture and dishes, household and household supplies, weapons.

Jewelry art originated in Kazakhstan in ancient times. Its appearance and development are closely related to the processing of simple stones, iron, bronze, precious stones and metals such as gold and silver, as well as with the gradual improvement of processing methods. Archaeological evidence shows that metals such as iron, copper, tin, gold and silver have been produced in the Kazakh steppe for thousands of years.

Belt, fragment, South Kazakhstan, XIX century

Extensive ore mining in Central Kazakhstan occurred in the period of the end of the IV - beginning of the III millennium BC, that is, in the epoch of the Eneolithic. 

In the second half of the II millennium BC, Central Kazakhstan became one of the metallurgical centers of the Eurasian continent, and copper was mined not only for local needs, but also for exchange between tribes.

The results of archaeological excavations indicate that the jewelry art associated with the extraction of metals was formed at a higher artistic level than in ancient times. It is impossible to deny the similarity of jewelry discovered by archaeologists during excavations with jewelry made by Kazakh jewelers in the late era, which, on the contrary, reflect the continuity of the ancient crafts of the Kazakh people with the jewelry art of the XIX-XX centuries.

Earrings. Northern Kazakhstan. The beginning of the XX century.

The works of Kazakh jewelry art initially served not only as an ornament, but also as a talisman. Jewelry of beads, bracelets, necklaces and earrings were made from teeth, bones, hooves of predatory animals, paws of eagles, owls, snail shells, various stones, etc., which were considered sacred.

A bracelet. Western Kazakhstan. The end of the XIX century.

Later, due to the development of non-ferrous metal processing, amulets began to be made of copper, iron, silver, gold and decorated with precious stones. There is a belief in the country to this day that children and adults wearing antique jewelry will be insured against slander, troubles and diseases. Thus, jewelry works can be called a special expressive language reflecting folk beliefs and traditions.