The definition of chain is as simple as interlocking links of metal.

Chain necklaces and bracelets date as far back as the Stone Age and were typically made of stones, shells, bones, teeth, or claws. Inside the container are three books, one by Marian Keyes, one by Jordan and a Dan Brown. The word meaning chain can be traced back to an ancient word in the Indo-European language family. Found through hunting and gathering, these materials were strung on a thread and worn around the neck. It wasn’t until around 2500 B.C. that gold was being used in chains as jewellery.

As early as 225 BC, chain was used to draw a bucket of water up from a well. The article itself is pretty good compared with what I've read on blogs and in the trade press, as the Times does not make industry insider assumptions. Around this time, people started alternating patterns of beads, colored stones, and gemstones, and metals like copper or silver. I think the main point of the article is to put the case against the Ottakar's buyout attempt. This very early bucket chain was composed of connected metal rings.

We can attribute the dynamic variations in women’s and men’s 10K and 14K yellow and white gold, platinum, and sterling silver chains for necklaces and bracelets to the Ancient Egyptians. They evolved a simple string of beads to elaborate, complicated patterns worn by both sexes of the wealthy and elite class. I was interested in the sidebar about the history of chain bookstores in the UK. In the Classical Greek period, three dimensional pendants were introduced and gold was plentiful. During the second century, it became high fashion for chains to consist of colored gemstones connected together by gold links.