Jewelry Sphere Find Your Jewelry Here

Ancient Egyptian Legacy Inspires Modern Day Jewelry Designs    by Diane L. J. Nassy

Ancient Egyptians believed in the power of magic, amulets, evil, and charms. Ancient jewelry makers incorporated these, often profound, beliefs into their jewelry designs. Many modern day jewelry artisans have begun making jewelry using ancient symbols like the sphinx or the pyramids, as a way of creating beautiful and unique pieces of wearable history.

Popular Symbols Used both in Ancient Egyptian as well as Modern Jewelry Designs

Both men and women in ancient Egypt, wore jewelry crafted from gold, silver, and colored glass, as a way to ward away evil or simply show their financial status. Egyptians made jewelry depicting animals, hieroglyphs, and even gods. A few of the symbols typically used are listed below.

*The ankh: A hieroglyph meaning life or eternal life.

*The scarab: A common symbol in ancient Egypt that represents rebirth. The scarab is also referred to as the dung beetle.

*The Cartouche: A symbol in which a pharaoh's name was written. It signified royalty and was generally reserved for kings.

*Ra: The sun god.

*Mummy: A deceased person encased in strips of fabric and preserved.

*King Tut Figurines: Usually the bust of King Tut is used in jewelry crafting.

The colors used to create ancient jewelry were even more symbolic than the symbols themselves. In ancient Egyptian life each color had a different meaning. Red jewelry was often worn to satisfy the god Isis' need for blood, and was used to decorate a deceased person's mummy. The color green symbolized fertility and successful crops, and the color blue was almost always used to represent royalty.

Why is Jewelry Modeled after Ancient Egyptian Style So Popular?

Egyptian style jewelry finds its popularity in its unusual and unique appearance. Jewelry crafted to resemble ancient Egyptian designs are diverse enough to be worn equally well by both men and women. Ancient inspired jewelry designs blend well with modern clothing choices due to their soft lines and earthy color schemes, making them very popular with fashion conscious consumers.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry is a Template for Modern Jewelry Artisans

The timeless beauty of Egyptian jewelry is still extremely popular even today. Modern jewelry crafters often depict ancient Egyptian symbols, animals, insects, and gods, in their creative designs. In addition to leaving behind amazing artifacts and tombs, ancient Egyptians have inspired the modern world with their legacy of unique jewelry designs.

About the Author

Diane is a big fan of Egyptian inspired jewelry and operates a website about ankh jewelry. To learn more about this style of jewelry especially ankh jewelry for men, please be sure to visit her site.