by Hans-Gustav Schwartz

Created on: September 23, 2008   Last Updated: September 25, 2008

Egyptian jewelry, or ancient Egyptian jewelry, is as popular today as it was some 5000 years ago. Archaeological expeditions of the last one hundred years have uncovered lovely examples of high quality workmanship from the time of the pharaohs. For all its beauty, precious stones, like diamonds, rubies and emeralds are missing from true Egyptian jewelry from ancient times. The Egyptians did, however, love color and it is displayed by the striking blues of lapis lazuli, the greens of malachite and feldspar, the orange-reds of carnelian, as well as the jet black of obsidian and finally, turquoise.

Most Egyptian jewelry was made of either gold or copper. Silver was seldom used. The copper came from the mines in Sinai which also yielded turquoise. Gold was used as it was found, and electrum, a naturally occurring mixture of gold and silver, was also used. Some of the gold jewelry from this period has a reddish tint to it, and this is due to the presence of iron in the gold.

In terms of jewelry itself, the most popular items were the broad vulture collars. They were made from concentric rows of beads often shaped like animals, flowers or leaves. These collars covered the front of the body from the base of the neck to the middle of the breast and were brightly colored with beads made from the minerals mentioned above. Late in the 18th Dynasty, glass beads appeared in a multitude of colors, but they were not translucent, rather, they were opaque. Necklaces, pendants and simple bead necklaces were strung on a cord. Faience beads, unlike modern faience, were made from gold droplets fired onto a gold surface. They also used this technique to reproduce images of the gods or magical hieroglyphs. Bracelets were popular and made from flexible rows of beads, or were rigid with some made of copper and some of gold. Earrings were worn by women, children and some men. Diadems and fillets were used to hold back long hair, along with gold ribbons and rings. The Egyptians also had numerous girdles, anklets, finger rings of all types in an endless variety.

The goddess Hathor was the goddess of beauty and sacred sponsor of the cosmetic arts. One of her epithets was the Lady of Turquoise. Scarab jewelry, usually in the form of amulets, was created using a variety of the stones and minerals available. Scarabs were linked to the god Khepri, the god of the rising sun. Another popular amulet was the Udjat, or Eye of Horus. It was believed to have healing and protective power. It symbolized the eye that was lost by Horus when he killed Seth, the murderer of his father. Other amulets were shaped like Bes and Taweret, the hideous but beloved gods of households. Still others were made in the shape of magic hieroglyphs like the ankh, symbolizing life, and many others which represented stability, health and other desirable attributes.

Egyptians generally wore white linen, and you can imagine how jewelry like this stood in bright contrast to the plain garments. Today, Egyptian style jewelry can be used with both formal and casual fashions. Golden earrings, rings and necklaces inlaid with turquoise, jasper, lapis or carnelian, utilizing the eternal symbols of ancient Egypt, are strikingly beautiful and are as timeless as the pyramids themselves.

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