Three Reasons Why Jewelry Was So Important To The Ancient Egyptians

Jewelry has always been an integral part of the Egyptian culture, from the days of old, when our ancient ancestors lived. At the time, jewelry was not for a specific gender or for people of a certain social class, but every Ancient Egyptian would be seen wearing jewelry of some sort, men, women, old, young, poor, or wealthy. The poor adorned themselves with painted clay, stones, shells, animal teeth and bones, while the wealthy were able to afford more valuable pieces made from semi-precious stones, precious metals, and glass beads. Jewelry pieces were exchanged, given as gifts, used to embellish their statues of Gods and Kings, and buried in ornamental tombs later discovered by archeologists.

Back to our main question: Why was jewelry so important to the Ancient Egyptians?

1. Ancient Egyptians Used Jewelry For Protection

Ancient Egyptians wholeheartedly believed in the magical qualities of jewelry and ultimately wore them to protect themselves from illness, disease, and bad omens. In their mind, the pieces of jewelry they wore around the neck, wrists, fingers, and ankles had the power to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Babies were commonly decked with pendants to keep them free from disease since child mortality, at the time, was a harsh reality. What we call charms today, they used to call amulets, and these symbolic pieces of jewelry were of great importance, as they believed that their overshadowing protection was extended to the afterlife. That is why you would see these amulets placed on the mummy during the wrapping process, after people died and the most widely used one was the heart scarab, chiseled gemstones shaped as scarab beetles, promoting rebirth.

2. Ancient Egyptians Used Jewelry to Display Power

Ancient people of status did not abide by modern concept that “less is more,” but instead they festooned themselves with elaborate ensembles. Jewelry was a status symbol and that is why the most expensive and precious materials, gold, silver, and gemstones were donned by the wealthy in the form of arm cuffs, rings, necklaces, and collars. Rumor says that Cleopatra’s favorite stone was the peridot.

3. Ancient Egyptians Used Jewelry to Tell Stories

Jewelry pieces were mostly symbolic, epitomizing culture, traditions, religious beliefs, and wisdom. Ancient Egyptians therefore wore jewelry to tell stories of themselves, of their people, and of their past. The scarab beetle, for example, mentioned above told the tale of life after death and rebirth in the afterlife, while the Lotus flower had a symbol of great importance to the Egyptians as they believed that water and darkness covered the world until the Lotus bloomed, revealing the Sun God, the creator of life. Jewelry depicted success stories of pharaohs, distinguished one ruler from another. Investigating the materials used in Ancient Egyptian jewelry was one of many avenues that helped unravel history of events, such as marking the passing of troubled times and abundant eras.