Orchid history began in China and Japan about 4 thousand years ago. Japan drawings which are 2500 years old have come down to us. In the 3 century AD Theophrastus, one of first ancient botanists, wrote the work “Learning plants” where word Orchis was firstly mentioned to denote orchids.
It is incredibly beautiful and mysterious plant. Family of orchids includes about 25,000 species and about 100,000 artificially selected hybrid specimens.
Orchids are very diverse by species, color, formation, and origin. Southeast Asia is famous by its orchids. A lot of folk sayings are connected with this flower in Southeast Asia. 
In Chinese symbolics orchid symbolizes perfection, harmony, and female charm.
In Europe orchid is considered to be a symbol of diligence. 
Flowers are language of nature. It is real and sincere. Learning symbols of flowers we can choose a state and mood that we would like to stress or intensify due to jewelry with real flowers. 
Floriography is symbols attributed to different flowers and used to express moods and feelings.
In the Victorian era the language of flowers was used to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud. The language of flowers finds its roots in the East. Knowledge about the language of flowers was brought to Europe by two women: Aubry de la Mottraye and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.
In their daily use ancient Chinese people sometimes used such word combinations in which word orchid meant good attitude or good quality. In his works Confucius placed orchids and noble people on the same shelf. Up to now in museums one can enjoy wonderful masterpieces of ancient art including images of orchids.
In Africa savages consider orchids as a delicacy and eat them during special holidays. In Asia orchids are popular as accessories. In the USA and Europe orchids are grown in greenhouses, they are used in interior decoration. 
There are lots of legends about orchids. 
A legend that appeared in New Zealand tells us that once the sun wanted to pierce a cloud cover that thoroughly hid the earth. It began heavy tropical rain. Thereafter a huge rainbow embracing the sky appeared. Immortal spirits – the only inhabitants of the Earth – impressed by few ever seen sight – began to flock together to the rainbow from the utmost ends of earth. Each of them wanted to get a place on the many-coloured bridge. They pushed each other. But then they took a seat on the rainbow and started to sing together. The rainbow bent under their strain little by little, and crashed down on the earth being broken into a great number of small multicoloured sparkles. Having caught their breath the immortal spirits who have never seen anything like this were watching the fantastic multicoloured rain. Each piece of earth accepted fragments of the heavenly bridge with gratitude. Those fragments that were caught by trees turned into orchids. It is considered that since that moment beautiful orchids have appeared. 
Legends of Amazon Indians  
In a country of four continents goddess Orchid was notable for her ineffable beauty. The young goddess, daughter of God of Honesty and Goddess of Joy, appreciated light above all in her life, therefore she ignored shade, rudeness, and outrage. Other gods condemned or admired Orchid for that. Some gods blamed Orchid in lack of wisdom, redundant kindness, and illusory perception of reality. Other gods made a stand for Orchid and considered her behavior to be a phenomenon of progress. These liberal minded gods explained Orchid’s behavior as wise and deliberate indifference to rudeness and outrage. They took Orchid as more exalted essence.
While gods having split down the middle tried to isolate Orchid, one of young gods fell in love with her kind soul though he has never seen her. His name was Archie. He patronized all branches of art. But Archie’s love to Orchid did not make him for good fortune and favour. As Orchid saw the world without shades, and Archie could not teach art to people without acknowledgement of shares and rigid lines. He has almost lost his skills because of love to Orchid. It could threaten him with proscription from the overworld, but Archie couldn’t help his passion to Orchid.
Having learned about Archie’s love to her, Orchid wanted to meet him very much. Gods prohibited them to see each other before philosophic trial of Orchid was completed, but legal debates were endless. Then Archie kidnapped Orchid. Such deed was unforgivable in the world of gods. It was considered as direct violence and ignorance. Archie was exiled from the country of four continents once for all. It meant everlasting wandering in forests and tears. Having learned about that, Orchid closed her eyes and having merged into eternal search of her beloved she turned into a forest flower. 
Beautiful orchid has been charming people by its grace for many centuries.