Emerald was Queen Cleopatra‘s favourite gemstone. She had her jewellers carve emeralds in her likeness, which she gave as gifts to foreign dignities. Emeralds were mined locally in ancient times close to the Red Sea. Egypt monopolized the trade in emeralds until the 16th century and the discovery of Central and South America. Ancient Egyptians equated emeralds to their concepts of fertility and rejuvenation, immortality and eternal spring.
Few Egyptians could afford gorgeous emerald gems so, to provide cheaper materials to meet the demand for jewellery amongst the lower classes, Egyptian artisans invented fake gemstones. Ancient artisans became so skilled at crafting glass bead facsimiles of precious and or semi-precious stones that distinguishing the real gem from the glass fake was quite difficult.
In addition to the gold used for jewellery destined for royalty and the nobility, copper was used extensively for mainstream jewellery. Gold and copper were both abundant thanks to Egypt’s Nubian Desert mines.
Silver generally was not available to craftsmen in Egypt and is rarely encountered in archaeological excavations. The silver that was used was all imported adding to its cost. To achieve different colours in their gold creations, jewellers use different tints of gold, which ranged from reddish brown and rose to shades of grey. Blending copper, iron or silver with the gold created this variation in tints.
Precious And Semi-Precious Gemstones
The more luxuriant examples of Egyptian jewellery were inlaid with a range of precious and semiprecious gemstones. Lapis lazuli was the most treasured stone, while emeralds, pearls, garnet; carnelian, obsidian and rock crystal were the most frequently used stones native to Egypt.
The world famous golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun was inlaid with delicately carved lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian.
The Egyptians also were skilled in manufacturing faience for their jewellery. Faience was made from grinding up quartz then mixing it with a colouring agent. The resulting mix was then heated and moulded to imitate more expensive gems. The most popular shade of faience was a blue-green tint that closely mimicked turquoise.
Precious And Semi-Precious Gemstones
The more luxuriant examples of Egyptian jewellery were inlaid with a range of precious and semiprecious gemstones. Lapis lazuli was the most treasured stone, while emeralds, pearls, garnet; carnelian, obsidian and rock crystal were the most frequently used stones native to Egypt.
The world famous golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun was inlaid with delicately carved lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian.
The Egyptians also were skilled in manufacturing faience for their jewellery. Faience was made from grinding up quartz then mixing it with a colouring agent. The resulting mix was then heated and moulded to imitate more expensive gems. The most popular shade of faience was a blue-green tint that closely mimicked turquoise.
Popular Jewellery Forms
While everyday objects and clothing may have been comparatively plain, Egyptian jewellery was unapologetically ornate. Regardless of class or gender, every ancient Egyptian owned at least some jewellery. The most popular items of jewellery included lucky charms, bracelets, beaded necklaces, heart scarabs and rings. Noble Egyptians, such as the pharaohs and queens enjoyed jewellery crafted from a mix of precious metals and gemstones and coloured glass. Egypt’s lower class predominantly wore, jewellery made from shells, rocks, animal teeth, bones and clay.
One of the most iconic ornaments that have come down to us from ancient Egypt is their wide collar necklace. Typically fashioned from rows of beads shaped like animals and flowers, the collar stretched over its wearer from the collarbone to the breast. Both men and women wore earrings, while rings were also popular with men and women. Pendants bearing a protective amulet were also commonly strung on beaded necklaces.
Protective Amulets
Egyptian protective amulets were often incorporated into jewellery but equally could be worn as independent items. These charms or amulets were talismans thought to protect its wearer. Amulets were carved into a range of different forms and shapes, including humans, animals, symbols and representations of the gods. These amulets conferred protection on both the living and the dead. Amulets were important in the afterlife and many examples were created as memorial jewellery specifically for the afterlife, following the ancient Egyptian custom of leaving grave goods to accompany the departed soul in the afterlife.
Egypt’s Iconic Scarabs
Egyptian scarab beetle played a significant role in its mythology. Consequently, the rich and poor alike adopted the scarab as a good luck charm and an amulet. Scarab jewellery was thought to possess strong magical and divine powers. Moreover, the humble scarab was an Egyptian symbol for rebirth. The owner’s name was inscribed on the scarab’s base to ensure its protection was granted to its wearer. Scarab jewellery in the form of necklaces, pendants, rings and bracelets were created from precious or semi-precious stones including lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian.
Heart Scarabs
One of the most common Egyptian funerary amulets was the heart scarab. These were occasionally heart-shaped or oval, however, they usually retained their distinctive beetle shape. Their name originated from the practice of placing an amulet over the heart prior to burial. The ancient Egyptians believed it compensated for the heart’s separation from its body during the afterlife. The heart chronicled a soul’s actions in life, according to Egyptian mythology. So, upon their death, the god Anubis would weigh the hearts of the departed souls against the Feather of Truth.
Intricately Beaded Necklaces
Intricately beaded necklaces were amongst the most popular items of Egyptian jewellery in their day. Typically, beaded necklaces often incorporated amulets and charms, into their intricate designs of different shaped and sized beads. The beads themselves could be fashioned from semi-precious stones, glass, minerals and clay.
Seal Rings
A man’s ring in ancient Egypt was as much legal and administrative instruments as they were ornamental. All official documents were formally sealed, as a form of authentication. The poor used a simple copper or silver ring as their seal, while the wealthy often used an elaborate precious gem set in a ring as their seal. The ring would be engraved with its owner’s personal emblem such as a hawk, an ox, a lion or a scorpion.
Reflecting On The Past
Ancient Egyptian jewellery is amongst some of the most breathtakingly ornate cultural artefacts ever found. Each piece tells a unique story. Some are artefacts of mystical power others contain talisman’s protecting their wearer against evil magic and dark curses.
