One of the differences between humans and animals is that humans are able to make and use tools to help them survive, so metalworking has a long history.
While humans are not the most powerful creatures on the planet, they are undeniably the most intelligent. In primitive times, the first people would use wooden sticks to protect themselves from strong, sharp-clawed animals. As times continued to evolve, ancient people created a range of items to combat wild animals. The most common was the stone wall, which was built not only to proclaim that they owned the area, but also to keep them safe when they slept at night. In addition to this, people made a great deal of equipment for use in battle.
Metals were used to make weapons
By the time of feudalism, mankind had become the masters of the world, and the monarchs built high, thick walls around their territories to protect them from ferocious beasts and the armies of other nations. However, it was difficult to win a war with the protection of the walls alone, and once the enemy broke through the gates of the walls, the people in the city were powerless to fight back. Therefore, weapons are also essential. After many attempts on a variety of materials, the ancients discovered that metal has inherent excellent physical properties, so the weapons made of metal are the most durable and powerful attack.
Countries are constantly fighting, the good or bad of weapons and equipment greatly affects the outcome of the war. In order to strengthen the military power, people keep on building swords and battle armor, as well as all kinds of cold weapons made of metal, such as arrows and axes, which are mostly made of iron. Even in recent times, people still prefer to use iron as the material for making hot weapons such as guns and grenades, so both in ancient times and in recent times, metal, especially iron, is in great demand.
Application of metal in the field of art
During the period of literary review, metal occupied an important place in the field of art. This is because at that time, metal was the raw material needed to make many works of art. Not only did craftsmen use metal frequently, but artists also favored metalwork. Master sculptors used bronze and other metals as the material for sculpting statues and pocket watches and other artifacts, producing many glorious and exquisite works, leaving a large number of artistic treasures for the world.
An engraver must first be a good painter, because engraving is also a kind of painting in a sense. But engraving is more difficult than painting because it requires excellent logic and concentration during the engraving process. If you want to engrave metal, the engraver must also know the nature of the metal, such as the hardness of the metal, the chemical reaction that the metal can produce, so that the engraver can perfectly engrave the work imagined in his mind. In addition, a jewelry engraving machine is essential because it can increase the efficiency of engraving and enhance the beauty of the engraved work.
Rings are also an embodiment of metal craftsmanship. In feudal society, rings were viewed as a status symbol and could only be worn by nobles. The rings of the nobles were usually engraved with special family patterns to indicate which family they belonged to, which was the biggest difference between the commoners and the nobles, except for the beautifully crafted costumes. As described in many novels, even if a nobleman had some accidents, was in rags and living on the streets, most people could tell that they were not a commoner by the rings they wore. With the rapid development of the economy, in modern society, ordinary people can afford to buy rings. Newlyweds exchange rings with each other on their wedding day, which is both an expression of love and a promise to each other. In some countries, in order to bless the newlyweds, guests also give them gold and silver jewelry. Because gold and silver jewelry are relatively expensive, giving them as wedding gifts can fully reflect the guests’ good wishes for the future of the couple’s married life.
Metals Become Currency
The phrase “scarcity is precious” is very appropriate when it comes to metals. The scarcity of rare metals predetermines their value. Gold and silver are typical rare metals, they are not active metals, their nature is very stable, and other substances are not easy to chemical reaction, even after tens of thousands of years of time, they still retained the original that beautiful appearance. So when people first discovered gold and silver, they were attracted by their brilliant and gorgeous appearance. So people used gold and silver as general equivalents to exchange for whatever they wanted.
Metals in Modern Life
People in the modern world are generally knowledgeable about metals and they use them in different scenarios depending on their nature.
The productivity of products has increased tremendously with the advent of the steam engine, and more and more metal products are being produced by machines instead of by hand. Because metal products have properties that ordinary substances do not have, they have become popular among many people. In people’s daily life, metal products can be found everywhere. For example, the parts of iron beds and cabinets are metal. It can be said that if a person’s home does not have items made of metal, then the home is an odd existence. With the accelerated development of technology, the use of metal has become more and more extensive, and many digital products also rely on metal parts in order to function.
