Egyptian Jewelry and It"s Beginning

The jewelry industry has probably existed since the beginning of civilization. Man’s earliest need, beyond food, shelter and clothing, was that of attracting the opposite sex and establishing a place of importance within the primitive society.

This led to the importance of being different, even before the first words were uttered. What started with leaves, twigs, stones of various colors and shells and even bones has now culminated into a prosperous industry that uses precious metals like gold, silver and platinum, alloys and gemstones to accentuate beauty.

The very first established and recorded civilizations was that on the banks of the fertile river Nile. The “Gift of the Nile” or Egypt, has a special place even in contemporary history because of the influence it has had on world events that have rippled down till today. The pharaohs and their extravagant lifestyles are still the dream of many of our celebrities.

The civilization was unique in every aspect including lifestyle, beliefs, festivals, gods and even jewelry! The very first established jewelry making industry in Egypt thrived around 3,000-5,000 years ago! The people were known to give great importance to luxury and rarity to prove their social status. They preferred the workability that gold offered over other metals that were accessible to them via extensive trade practices.

The Egyptians acquired much gold from the deserts of Africa and Nubia. This they captured as spoils of war and the tributes from defeated nations. Jewelry in Egypt symbolized power within the community. They wore and flaunted their jewelry when alive and even in death! This fact and the exquisiteness of their jewelry comes from archaeological evidence on excavating the famous tombs of the rich pharaohs.

The Egyptians used gold jewelry with settings of colored glass and precious gems. They had access to gemstones from the world over, however their preference for the colors they could create in glass is amply seen in the recovered jewelry. They went to the extent of actually creating a glass formulation to replicate nearly each gemstone.

According to their ‘Book of the Dead’, each color used in jewelry making denoted something. The color of the jewelry was very important to them. According to the book, a necklace of Isis around a mummy’s neck should be red in color to symbolize the need for blood, while green jewelry stood for plenty and fertility.

Egyptian jewelry was designed via customization demands made by royalty, in large workshops that were attached to the temples and palaces. The Egyptian men and women wore elaborate gold and silver designs for the popular religious ceremonies, which were practically on a daily basis.

Jewelry-making was a significant craft. The designs live on today in the world market dedicated to the replication of the multitude of gold, silver and semi-precious stones and artifacts. The demand for embellished gold figurines, close-fitting collar necklaces, jewel-headed pins, ankle bracelets and heavy multi-strand necklaces is ample proof of this.

Jewelry in Egypt was set with brightly-colored stones, real gemstones and glass replicates in the form of leaves, spirals, cones, and bunches of grapes. Egyptian jewelry demands the use of a wide variety of sophisticated metalworking techniques.

Source by Victor Epand

Egyptian Jewelry and It"s Beginning