Jewelry in Ancient Egypt

For many many years and in many different cultures jewelry, including ornaments made of precious metals, has been worn as adornment, as an indication of political affiliation and as symbols of religious and social persuasion.

This, the first in a series of articles, will discuss some of the ways the presence of jewelry in the history of countries and cultures.

The various processes of ornamenting metal, many of which remain in use today, were familiar to the ancient Egyptians. They used their expertise to design jewelry which they chased (to ornament metal by indenting with a hammer and tools without a cutting edge), engraved (to form by incision, as on wood or metal), soldered, repoussé (shaped or ornamented with patterns in relief made by hammering or pressing on the reverse side used especially of metal) and inlaid. Working primarily in gold and silver, they also on occasion incorporated semiprecious stones, such as carnelian, jasper, amethyst, turquoise, lapis lazuli. The addition of enamel and glass was not uncommon. The scope of the jewelry was wide and universally became a sign of status and wealth. The pieces included diadems (crown), wide bead necklaces or collars, square pectorals (something worn on the breast), hoops, hinged and beaded bracelets and rings.

Jewelry was a common ornament. Many Egyptians wore two bracelets on each arm, one on the wrist and one just above the elbow. The signet ring (a seal used officially to give personal authority to a document in lieu of a signature) was a popular ornament. Some of the motifs on Egyptian jewelry, many of which are still popular today, are the scarab or beetle, the lotus (blossom or flower), the falcon, the serpent (or snake), and the eye, all drawn from religious symbols.

The information we have that ancient Egyptians used many pieces of jewelry, is documented by archeological data from the opening of tombs, most notably a wealth of ornaments from the tomb of Tutankhamun, who ruled from 13331323 BC. These magnificent pieces can now be seen in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

For the ancient Egyptians there is no mistaking that jewelry was an art form which was prized and jewelry was a sign of social position, wealth and status.