Ancient Egyptian Jewelry By Lauren Massimino 11215 18

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry By: Lauren Massimino 1/12/15 #18

Topics of Ancient Egyptian Jewelry • • How jewelry was made Types of stones Purpose of the jewelry Religious symbols

How Jewelry Was Made • Gold was the metal of choice for jewelry • It was the used for 7, 000 years during the era of the Egyptian Pharaohs • Bronze, silver, and trace amounts of Copper called “electrum” were also used • Egyptians emulate colors using polychrome glass • Most gold jewelry was made by hammering out thin sheets that were then cut out to shape items • Decorated by punching on designs with sharp chisels • Made indentations to hold stones or jewels • Gold was also cut into thin strips to make wire • Expensive solid pieces of jewelry were made by pouring molten or liquid gold into molds

• • • Types of Stones (Red) cornelian, jasper, (purple) amethyst, (blue) lapis lazuli, (green) malachite Each color had a different symbolic meaning The stone malachite symbolized fertility and success of new crops The stone cornelian symbolized the satisfaction of God Isis’s need for blood The stone lapis lazuli represented royalty

Purpose of the Jewelry • • Both men and women wore jewelry as a symbol of wealth and status Royals and very rich people wore gold and silver jewelry Wealthy people took pride in the expensive jewelry they wore because social position was important Sacred animals also wore jewelry Elaborate costume jewelry was worn to abort otherwise plain clothing as a sign of social position Amulets have lucky charms to protect the wearer from the dangers of evil, pregnancy, and childbirth The pectoral ornament was used as breast decoration on mummies This falcon pectoral with outstretched wings shows the sun god Re-Harakhty in one of his many forms

Religious Symbols • Ancient Egyptians placed great importance on the religious significance of scarce objects • This was heavily reflected in their jewelry • Ancient Egyptians would use semiprecious stones to show religious belief and protection against evil • Jewelry was put in the tombs for a dead person to use in the afterlife • Egyptians thought that if they put a dead persons valuables in their tomb they would be successful in the afterlife • The Egyptians even had their own cross they would inter twine in their jewelry

Summary • Ancient , for many different purposes. It was made by using the finest chisels and the most semi-precious jewels for the best look. Jewelry was even used for many different purposes and was made many different ways and used such as religious purposes, as some stones on jewelry would protect the wearer against evil or bad pregnancy, and child birth. Some stones even had a meaning. For example, wealthy people would wear the stone cornelian as a symbol of wealth and social position. The way the Ancient Egyptians created their jewelry has shaped the way we use our jewelry today.

Bibliography The History of Jewelry: Ancient Egyptian Jewelry Design 12 Dec. 2014 http: //www. allaboutgemstones. com/jewelry_history_egyptian. html Manning, Ruth Ancient Egyptian Women Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann Library, 2003 Haslam, Andrew Ancient Egypt New York: Thomson Learning, 1995