Necklaces as well as chains date back to 2500 BC in ancient Egypt whose citizens used to thread links of gold and silver together. 

This hammered gold was even the one used to roll it into early wires. At the time, Gold was plentiful in Greece and the Greeks created more necklaces and other forms of chains at the time. 

Before that time, they were not as popular because ruffs and lace collars were considered the height of fashion. 

Others were made of natural shells or stones which were replaced by fashioned beads, which have been found in prehistoric grave sites. 

In the 8th century BC, elite upper classes in the country used to put on different necklaces and jewelries as a symbol of power and wealth. On the other side, some Romans and Egyptians wore them to protect themselves from evil.  

In the middle age, necklaces were also used as emblems of power and authority, hence becoming a mark of social status. 

During the renaissance period, Leonardo da Vinci improved on the necklace design, in a period which ornamentation was starting to become a must, because people had started putting on long gold chains.