Ancient Egypt has always been a huge inspiration to me. There are so many fascinating elements such as the mysteries of the pyramids, the legends of the Pharaohs, those animal headed gods and of course the incredible gold jewellery.
Most Ancient Egyptians wore some type of jewellery during their lifetime, even slaves wore beaded belts. However, the materials used and the quality of craftsmanship reflected the status of the wearer. Wearing jewellery was certainly for adornment but also for protection and power.
As a form of expression it was closely linked to the symbols of hieroglyphic writing. The scarab, lotus, eye of Horus, falcon, serpent, vulture, and sphinx all feature dominantly in the designs and each have special meaning and significance.
Gold was most commonly used to make jewellery in Ancient Egypt. They believed it to be the flesh of the sun god Amen Ra and so adorning themselves with it ensured immortality. The use of gold was generally complemented by precious stones such as carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.
Tutankhamum's lapis lazuli winged scarab holding a carnelian sun - Museum of Cairo
Lapis Lazuli was particularly favoured amongst royalty. It was believed to lead the soul into immortality and open the heart to love, reveal truth, cure headaches and insomnia. A sacred stone that was said to contain the soul of the gods and so was key to spiritual attainment. The stone was painstakingly carved into amulets, pendants and ornaments such as scarabs. It was amongst the first gemstones to be used in jewellery.
It’s clear to see why Ancient Egypt is so unique and fascinating. Here are a few of my designs which have been influenced by this incredible civilisation. If you need a fix of some Goddess style glamour use code: CLEOPATRA15 at checkout for 15% off all Egyptian influenced jewellery.
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