Why do people love their bling so much? Instead of offering a traditional historical presentation, Vicenza's Jewelry Museum asks this question. The answers vary with different times and societies, as showpieces have assumed various functions throughout history.

Diadems represent power and prestige, amulets deflect bad luck, and hairpins are neat. Sometimes jewelry could be unexpectedly functional, too. A pair of massive silver bracelets with sharp edges from India doubles as a deadly weapon against unsuspecting enemy.

Opened in 2014, Vicenza's Jewelry Museum is the first of its kind in Italy. Its location, within the walls of the Palladian Basilica downtown, was chosen not only because the Renaissance building is the city's most beloved gem but also because it has been the premier site of Vicenza's goldsmiths workshops since the Middle Ages. Because the museum is situated next to modern jewelry shops, visitors today can see preserved remains of ancient ateliers through its transparent floor.

Vicenza boasts a long and proud tradition as one of the Italy's four centers of jewelry trade (the other three are Arezzo in Tuscany, Valenza in Piemont, and Naples suburb Torre del Greco). Indeed between one-fifth and a quarter of the country's gold and jewelry is produced here. Twice a year, the city hosts two times per year one of the most important trade shows in the business, Vicenzaoro, at the local fairgrounds Fiera di Vicenza. Meanwhile Vicenzaoro has mushroomed into a global enterprise, with franchises in such luxury-loving destinations as Las Vegas, Dubai, Mumbai and Hong Kong. The Jewelry Museum is also part of the ambitious strategy to brand Vicenza as a place that is preserving trade's ancient traditions while embracing the modern global market.

Alba Cappellieri, professor of jewelry design at Polytechnic University in Milan and Italy's foremost expert on the subject, is the exhibition's curator and director. All information is expertly translated in English, and short educational videos have subtitles. To maintain interest and encourage repeat visitors, Cappellieri promises to change artifacts every two years.

While relatively small (seeing everything takes just about 40 minutes), the exhibition is bedazzling. It offers 400 objects from ancient Etruscan art to futuristic mini sculptures made just for the runway, to stun fashion photographers who think they've seen it all. There are nine rooms showcasing jewelry design, symbolics, functionality, mass production, artistry and future trends. Next to precious diamonds, sapphires, topaz, jade, tourmalines and rubies, visitors also encounter pieces made of plastic, with rhinestones and zircons, and even items from rubber and burned fabric.

Some of the latter accessories, however, are no less high-priced. Whatever the layperson might think about their aesthetic value, these objects came from workshops of masters like Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior and Gianfranco Ferré.

But, as one learns at the end of the exhibition, jewelry's value lies less in gem size or worth but in its power to make people feel special, self-confident and beautiful.

Visit the Museo Del Gioiello Vicenza, in the Palladian Basilica, 44 Piazza Dei Signori. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are 6 euro and 4 euro (reduced). Learn more at the website, http://www.museodelgioiello.it.