Earrings which show the king flanked by two sacred serpents in the centre of the clip, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discoverd in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Portrait of a Fulani woman wearing traditional gold earrings, Mopti, Mali, West Africa, Africa

Portrait of a Fulani woman wearing traditional gold earrings, Mopti, Mali, West Africa, Africa

Detail of the statue of the Maitreya (future Buddha) installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to the monastery, Thiksey Gompa, Ladakh, Himalayas, India, Asia

Two 'Big ears' Padaung tribe girls in Nai Soi, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, Asia

Portrait of a Fulani woman wearing traditional gold earrings, Mopti, Mali, West Africa, Africa

Desia Kondh tribal woman wearing traditional gold noserings and earrings, Bissam Cuttack, Orissa, India, Asia

Indian man wearing traditional Rajasthani turban and gold earring in village of Nimaj, Rajasthan, Northern India

Indian man wearing traditional Rajasthani turban and gold earring in village of Nimaj, Rajasthan, Northern India

Nigerian woman attending a tribal gathering durbar cultural festival at Maiduguri in Nigeria, West Africa

Woman wearing traditional Indonesian dress, Jakarta, Indonesia.

A young girl wearing an ornate gold head-dress with gold necklace and earrings in traditional style in Java, Indonesia.

Gambian women smartly dressed while atttending an Independence Day reception at the State House in Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa.

Nigerian woman in brightly coloured clothes and with the traditional face markings.

Gold ear ring worn by a Maldhari Gujjar, Gujarat, India, Asia

Woman wearing Folk Costume, Oporto, Portugal

Crowns and helmets were worn by leaders, Pre-Columbian goldwork collection, Gold museum, Museo del Oro, Bogota, Colombia, America

Man with Golden Jewelry, Hydra, Idhra, Saronic Islands, Greece

Pre-Columbian goldwork collection, earrings, Gold Museum, Museo del Oro, Bogota, Colombia, South America

Jewellery for Sale, Khan al-Khalili, Bazaar; Cairo, Egypt

A Woman With Mehndi On Her Palms Cups Her Hands To Collect Water From A Tap, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Close up of young woman wearing traditional dancer attire.

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Four young dancers wearing traditional costumes, posing.

Head and shoulders portrait of woman wearing coloured headscarf and gold earring, Three quarters profile left, Juchitan, Oaxaca, Mexico

Precolumbian Gold Chimu Culture, 1000-1400AD TUMI ceremonial knife depicting legendary chief Naym Lap, gold and turquoise in Museo del Oro, Lima, Peru

Precolumbian Gold Chimu Culture, 1000-1400AD ear ornaments of gold, lapiz and turquoise shows warrior with victim's head Museo del Oro, Lima, Peru

Gold Artifacts Moche (Mochica) Culture, 100 to 700AD, NCoast ear ornament from Lord of Sipan Tomb, 300AD, gold & turquoise 3-dimensional image of Lord, Peru

Gold Artifacts Moche (Mochica) Culture, 100 to 700AD, NCoast ear ornament from Lord of Sipan Tomb, 300AD, gold & turquoise 3-dimensional image of Lord, Peru