Ancient Egyptian Jewelry : History and Facts

by Jennifer A. Life Style and Jewelry Blogger

In 1922, a British archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun who was born in 1292 BC, and died at the age of 19. The Egyptian dynasty may have survived for another 250 odd years, but the foundation was laid by Tutankhamun.

Under his rule, Egyptian goldsmiths attained a high degree of mastery, and various intricate jewelry pieces were produced. At this time, jewelry was seen as a vastly different commodity compared to recent times. In the Egyptian dynasty, jewelry was a means to differentiate men and women of specific social classes.

The royal family and high nobles of the time had various different

kinds of intricate jewelry pieces. This includes diadems, tiaras and amulets. Further, certain modern pieces such as bracelets, pendants and necklaces were also found buried with the tombs.

What speaks volumes about the high level of craftsmanship that goldsmiths had attained is the fact that certain members of the royal families were buried in tombs made fully of gold, and decorated with gemstones and various elaborate engravings that often conveyed various aspects of life back then.

Of course, the high level of craftsmanship is hardly a surprise, considering some of the other types of craftsmen and workers that were also creating highly advanced pieces. Even till today, scientists are not entirely sure how the pyramids that house most of these tombs were constructed back then.

This was a time when there was no mechanized machinery or modes of transport available. This means that the transport of raw materials took place using manual methods. Further, considering the sheer quality of these structures, and the fact that in some cases they have stood the test of time and are virtually indestructible adds a further element of mysticism to the Egyptian dynasty.

As far as the jewelry was concerned, there were quite a few different types of symbols that were commonly seen. This includes designs that take inspiration from flora and fauna, such as lotuses, falcons, serpents, and other religious motif symbols that have their inspiration from various cults and tribes of the time.

Although the number of symbols were not that great in number, there were quite a few symmetrical designs that were made using repetitive images. Of course, on the whole, the Egyptian jewelry practices of those times are no longer employed. However, there are still a few pieces that you can look at, if you are interested. First of course, there is another question that needs answering.

Why did pharaohs wear so much jewelry?

Well, the question might be one of the most asked about questions about Egyptian Pharaoh Jewelry, but the answer itself is pretty straightforward. Further, what is to be noticed is that Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh jewelry had only a finite number of symbols that they featured.

This was because jewelry in this time was not made to improve the way people looked. It was more of a recognition system via which people from different social classes could be differentiated. The culture was such that the highest nobles in the kingdom would wear the most number of jewelry pieces, and people would recognize their status on their own, and react accordingly.

Due to this, we see Pharaohs of the time wearing so many pieces! Of course, while the trend of Egyptian jewelry is one thousands of years old, it has still survived to some extent. In this article, we end by talking about a specific Ancient Egypt inspired jewelry piece that you can buy today!

14K Yellow Gold King Tut Charm Egyptian Pharaoh Pendant

This Egyptian gold pharaoh pendant takes inspiration from the original tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The piece has a glossy gold design with silver finishes towards the side. Further, the shape of the Pharaoh, which was also the shape of the top of the coffin in which he was buried has vivid engraving to perfectly capture his facial features.

The pendant comes with an inch long bail and has a polished Rhodium finish to add further gloss to the piece. The technique takes inspiration from ancient Egyptian pieces, and is entirely handcrafted much the same way.

As always, we take great pride in the quality of craftsmanship of each of our pieces, and use only the most natural gemstones bought from some of the best sources worldwide. Finally, each piece is made in America. You can check our entire range of handcrafted Religious jewelry products on the official Jewelry America website.