Egyptian jewelry is well-known to be both beautiful and incredibly interesting. It is ornate, traditional and highly sought-after by historians and jewelry collectors.
Here are a few things that you probably didn’t know about Egyptian jewelry!
1. Egyptian jewelry was worn by both women and men
In ancient times, jewelry was considered a sign of wealth, prosperity and adornment and was worn by both women and men. In fact, the more jewelry you wore, the richer you were said to be!
2. Copper and gold were the most common metals
Gold and copper were the metals that were most commonly used to make Egyptian jewelry. Copper was more abundant and most of the population could therefore afford to buy jewelry made of copper. However, gold jewelry was mostly worn by the very rich and the shade of gold could be anything from bright yellow to rose gold.
3. The best jewelry was inlaid with precious stones and gems
Rich Egyptians loved to set pretty gemstones and semiprecious stones into their jewelry to make it more lavish. This is why you will often find Egyptian jewelry inlaid with pearls, turquoise, obsidian, rock crystal and garnet. It was also very fashionable for the general public to wear faience (which was a blue-green stone that was made from ground quartz and colorants).
4. The most common piece of jewelry was the necklace
Ornate necklaces were the most sought-after pieces, especially wide-collared necklaces that would be hung from the collarbone to the breast. Ancient Egyptians loved to decorate their necklaces with beads to emulate the shape of flowers or popular animals.
5. Amulets were worn to protect the wearer and give them power.
An amulet was worn by Ancient Egyptians as protection and to give them power. These were highly personalized pieces that would be carved into shapes desired by the wearer. Examples of shapes include beloved friends and family, gods, animals and symbols that were important to the wearer. It was also common practice to have special amulets made for wearing in the afterlife because funerary jewelry was very traditional during Ancient Egyptian times.