Pharaoh's jewellery "Egyptian Scarab"
What is a Scarab and what does it mean? It is a representation or image of a beetle, much used among the ancient Egyptians as a symbol, seal, amulet or a gem hut to resemble a beetle.
Ancient Egyptians brought a real artistic eye to jewelry design and ornamentation. Though Ancient Egyptians prized silver for its rarity, they used gold often, and perfected many of the techniques that would eventually be used in modern jewelry making. Some of the jewelry techniques we associate with Victorian jewelry (granulation, filigree, and chasing), were practiced as far back as 1700 B.C.
Gems such as carnelian, amethyst, garnet, lapis lazuli, and turquoise were used frequently in jewelry, often chosen symbolically based on the stone’s color. Beadwork was popular, especially in graduated designs with accent spacer beads. In the latter part of the era, hoop earrings and earplugs were commonly worn. Other types of jewelry worn during this time include bangle bracelets, anklets, and collar necklaces.
Purpose of Scarabs
Scarabs serve many purposes other than to serve as mere decorations.
Over the ages, they have been used to symbolise wealth, used as currency, fashion accessory and also to serve as a form of artistic expression. Precious metals and stones were used from very earl ages as a sign of wealth and opulence.
Royalty have always used Scarabs as a means for securing and consolidating wealth and even to the present day, some of the most precious pieces of jewelry are antiques. Royal jewels rank among the most expensive and luxurious assets of all times.
Man forms of jewelry that we use today have their genesis as purely functional pieces. Pins, brooches and buckles were initially created to serve specific practical purposes, but they later evolved into more decorative versions and began to be considered as jewelry for adornment.
Museums are great places to see ancient artifacts, but they’re not often the catalyst for a costume jewelry trend. But big newsworthy archaeological events like the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in the 1920s–that can start viral jewelry trend. Combine that with all the epic movies featuring ancient Egypt, particularly the costume epics of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as air travel making it more possible for more people to visit Egypt and it no surprise that there’s lots of Egyptian-inspired vintage costume jewelry out there.
Egyptian style would continue to weave in and out of fashion through the rest of the 20th century. Today snake and scarab motifs, hoop earrings, and collar necklaces have become classics in jewelry design. Many people don’t realize that these modern pieces have ancient origins, but in fact, we owe many of our favorite jewelry designs to the pharaohs.
