Ancient Egyptian jewelry

The ancient Egyptians were brilliant innovators in the creation of jewelry. The ancient Egyptians loved ornamentation, jewelry was designed, crafted and worn with great care. Fine jewelry was valued not only for beauty but also for the magical and spiritual protection it provided, they didn't make a distinction between amulets, cartouche and jewelry. Minerals and metals were identified with specific deities as well as with specific spiritual and therapeutic values. Thus their words for lapis lazuli and turquoise were synonymous with joy and delight, respectively. Copper and malachite were identified with Hathor, gold connected to the solar deity.
The Egyptian artisans did not confine themselves to a limited selection of materials: a very wide variety of minerals were crafted into jewelry including amethyst, cornelian, jasper, onyx and quartz crystal. During many periods of Egyptian history, silver was valued more highly than gold, due to its relative scarcity, lapis lazuli, which held great spiritual significance was not obtained locally but imported.

Egyptian artisans invented the art of the fabulous fake, ancient artisans became so adept at crafting glass bead versions of precious stones that it was difficult to distinguish authentic emeralds, pearls and tigers-eye.

	Scarab The beetle scarab always symbolized rebirth and the generative forces of the rising sun. It was used as an amulet, a pendent, or as a stamp seal mounted on a ring. Large scarabs were inscribed with texts to commemorate certain events Scarabs were already known in the Old Kingdom, they were sacred in the Prehistoric Period and had a role in the early worship of animals. Actual beetles were found stored in jars buried with the deceased and in graves of the 1st Dynasty. Scarabs were made in a wide variety of materials, such as gold, lapis, basalt, turquoise, colored glass, and alabaster.
	Ankh The ankh was used as an emblem and appears as one of the most powerful cultural and religious symbols of Pharaonic Egypt, it was the symbol of life, gods and Pharaohs were often depicted as carrying ankh signs, There are thousands of representations of ankh, not only in writing or in pictures, but in the form of ankh-shaped objects, especially mirrors or mirror-cases, such as those from the tomb of Tutankhamen. Ankhs were made of various materials including gold, lapis and wood.
	Cartouche The Good Luck Charm of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, it was worn only by the Pharaohs, and represented the Pharaohs' insignia. The "Magical Oval" in which the Pharaoh's first name was written was intended to protect him from evil spirits both while he lived and in the afterworld
	Amulets Amulets are object or formulas that credulity and superstition have endowed with the power of warding off harmful influences. The use of the amulet to avert danger and to dispel evil has been known in ancient Egyptian religion. Like the talisman and the charm, the amulet is believed to be the source of an impersonal force. Amulets are often worn on the body, hanging from the neck or strapped to the arm or leg.
	Earrings The wearing of earrings by both sexes and all social classes became popular during the New Kingdom. Akhenaten was the first to introduce the pierced ear in royal statuary which illustrates the widespread use of earrings.