Egyptian Scarab Jewellery – Symbolism and Heritage

The scarab beetle has been a symbolic motif in Egyptian jewellery for countless numbers of yrs. The scarab is a symbol of regeneration and rebirth, therefore scarab jewelry was imagined to bring security, luck and vitality to the wearer. Egyptian troopers ended up provided scarabs in advance of going into battle. Girls were presented scarabs for fertility. Scarab beads and types ended up typically fashioned into bracelets, pendants and rings.

Scarab jewellery was made from a extensive assortment of stones and products. Archeologists have observed examples of scarab beads and artifacts manufactured from clay, soapstone, environmentally friendly basalt, glass, bone, important metals, wood, semi-important gemstones and several other kinds of stone. The hues of scarabs have been symbolic so simple stone was usually glazed or enameled in dazzling shades. The most common hues observed in enameled scarab jewellery ended up environmentally friendly (symbolizing new life), blue (for the sky and the River Nile), and red (for the sunshine). In addition to enamels, brightly colored semi-precious gemstones were employed in scarab jewelry making which includes lapis lazuli, amethyst, carnelian, agate, jasper, onyx and turquoise. Nowadays, scarab jewelry is even now designed from gemstones, enameled components, and valuable metals.

The symbolism in scarab jewellery derives mainly from its affiliation with the Egyptian god of the rising sunlight, Khepri. A person variety of scarab, the “Sacred Scarab” or dung beetle, lays its eggs in a ball of dung which it rolls alongside the floor and finally into a gap where by the eggs hatch and new beetles arise from. This scarab was noticed as the earthly representation of Khepri in that it was considered that this god rolled the sunshine throughout the sky each individual working day, so renewing lifetime. The scarab is also linked with astrology and may well have preceded the crab as the image we know as Cancer.

Scarabs had been also utilized in ancient Egypt for security in the afterlife. Substantial “coronary heart scarabs” with hieroglyphic inscriptions on the underside, were positioned throughout the upper body of the deceased in the tomb. They were also identified in location of the heart in mummified bodies. These heart scarabs had been believed to safeguard the lifeless in the last judgment. The most well known of these was a chest or “pectoral” scarab observed in Thebes in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Nowadays, coronary heart scarabs are valued for ornamental needs, and lots of nevertheless bear hieroglyphs and symbolic carvings on the underside.

Considering that Egyptian history and art are nevertheless examined today, the fascination with the scarab carries on. Scarab jewellery and decor are nonetheless made in Egypt and by craftsmen all over the earth.