The venerable Walters Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is opening up their vaults for Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. The exhibit highlights the passion of Henry Walters (1848–1931) who collected jewelry from a large variety of cultures and periods. His collection runs the gamut from Mesopotamian stone pendants to masterpieces created by Tiffany and Co. The exhibition brings together more than 200 pieces of jewelry, combining extraordinary highlights from the holdings with objects from the Walters' vaults, The exhibit runs from now until January 4, 2009. A small sample of some of the pieces on display is in the gallery below.

[via Washington Post]