When my older sister was a teen in the early nineties, the jewelry that ruled the shelves was decorated with ying yangs, ankhs, and pentacles, among other trinkets. The most fascinating necklace in her collection was a giant silver ankh. It was quite pretty, but as a child, I always wondered why her cross was looped at the top! Luckily, a lot of information is available on the symbols some of us don every day. This is helpful, as tasteful modern jewelry inspired by the signs and symbols of the ancient Egyptians can still easily be found. This jewelry, both low-end and high-end, is readily available on websites, eBay, and in some stores.

Despite the influence of ancient Egypt on these modern pieces, true Egyptian jewelry was a bit different. Egypt, one of the most stable ancient civilizations, was rich in minerals and precious metals. Most jewelry was worn by royalty; kings fully adorned themselves in gold. The cartouche is a prime example; it was a nametag of sorts carved with hieroglyphics representing the name of the wearer. They were worn exclusively by members of royalty and by high-ranking citizens. Today any plebian can have one. Sites like Nilestone sell personalized gold and silver cartouches carved by Egyptian artists.

However, most jewelry was carved to look like people or animals rather than words. Trinkets often resembled the servants of kings. Small turquoise amulets called shabtis were crafted and worn around the neck on a string with golden beads. This expressed ultimate ownership while also showing the king’s wealth by the vast number of servants he commanded.

The beads of ancient Egypt served many purposes; depending on their shape, they stood for different gods, were symbols of brotherhoods, or were symbols of luck.

The scarab was associated with the god Khepri, who pushed the sun through the sky each day. Scarabs roll their eggs around in a similar manner, towards the heat of the sun to incubate them. The scarab was therefore considered a symbol of rebirth. Scarab jewelry would be buried with the dead to assure their rebirth. It was placed over the deceased’s heart to keep him or her from telling his/her secrets in a ceremony that would determine his/her movement to the next life. These things all made the scarab seem to be a symbol of good luck.

Lion beads were a sign of power. Even beads of the male genitalia existed to represent some ancient cults. They showed not only the power of masculinity, but ensured that the bearer would carry his genitalia on to the afterlife.

Jewelry was sometimes a clear display of reverence to the gods. The Eye of Horus was worn for protection, considered the very eye of God, and it can be found many places in our current culture. It is most notably gracing the top of the pyramid on the United States one-dollar bill. Horus was a falcon god associated with the sun. Ancient astronomers saw his “eye” during the eclipse of the sun: a black bead with the wisps of sun shining out, appearing to be lashes. Horus was also known to take the shape of a winged disk, also explaining his association with a solar eclipse.

Many elements themselves stood for honored deities or represented certain ideas of the culture. Gold was Ra; the god of the sun. Jewelry made of copper symbolized Hathor, the goddess of love. These items were thought to be good luck for the wearers because this connected them to their gods and goddesses.

Colors could represent not only gods, but direct ideals of the culture. Turquoise was supposed to bring the wearer happiness. Green turquoise or feldspar was symbolic of the earth’s fertility; the color of new life. Red carnelian, the color of blood, depicted the color of life. Lapis lazuli was considered the “heavenly stone”, since it is color of the sky.

Opaque stones were preferred among the Egyptians. A large number of Egyptian beads were made from faience, a non-clay ceramic, glazed material, considered a forerunner of glass. Faience was mostly composed of quartz with some lime and plant ash. It was used for its association with rebirth and light.

Some Egyptian symbols found in modern jewelry but not ancient jewelry includes the aforementioned ankh. The ankh was most likely a religious emblem. We know this because in many depictions, it is held in the hands of the gods. There is not much evidence that it was used in jewelry, but in drawings and statues it is shown as a physical item used in religious ceremony. There are many different ideas about what the ankh stands for, but no scholar has found the definitive answer.

Some authentic ancient Egyptian jewelry is available today through collectors online and in antique shops. The Egyptian artisans made well-crafted jewelry that has stood the test of time. If one wants to express their love of Egyptian art, they also have the option of buying the modern jewelry mentioned above that takes from the ancient Egyptian culture. Either style is quite lovely and can hold a lot of meaning for the bearer!