Ancient Egyptian Jewelry: The Art Of Wearing Jewelry In Ancient Times

Long before multi-million dollar jewelry companies like Tiffany emerged in the market, ancient Egyptians were already sporting different kinds of jewelry. Ancient Egyptian jewelry is generally known for its rich and intricate designs. However, the first generation of ancient Egyptian jewelry was not really so elaborate. In fact, you might see these pieces of jewelry as crude.

That's Crude

During the Badari and the Naqada era in ancient Egypt, Egyptians were known to wear jewelry make up of simply natural materials such as shells, bones, beads plant branches and the like. These simple natural materials were arranged or strung using cow hair or threads of flax. Since the Egyptians were just starting to learn the art of jewelry making at that time, the designs of these first generation ancient Egyptian jewelry were not really that good.

That's Better

During the First Dynasty, Egyptians started to master the art of making jewelry. At this time, Egyptians learned to paint stones with glass substances to bring out the natural beauty of the stones. Later on, they learned to make pieces of jewelry from solid semiprecious stones and metals like gold and silver. Some brilliant jewelry makers in Egypt also came up with some of the ancient world's most intricate jewelry designs.

According to historians, the art of jewelry making peaked during the Middle Kingdom era in ancient Egypt. At this time, the Egyptians were able to master the techniques in melting precious metals and turning them into lovely jewelry pieces. To get all the necessary materials for jewelry making, the Egyptians were know to sent regular missions to Nubia and the Eastern Desert to extract precious stones and metals.

The Royal Family

The rulers of ancient Egypt were known for their love for ancient Egyptian jewelry. According to experts, the Egyptians consider jewelry as a kind of talisman that protects them from evil. Jewelry also defines the lineage or the economic status of the person in the ancient times. It was not uncommon for royalty to deck their bodies with several pieces of jewelries. The women and men of noble birth usually adorn themselves with several pieces of precious stones and metals.

Ancient Egyptians believe that jewelries can help the dead navigate to the next world that is why most tombs of ancient Egyptian royalty are filled with treasures. In most cases, several pieces of ancient Egyptian jewelry are placed on the body of the deceased to help him or her transcend to the next world.