History of Egyptian Jewelry
Jewels of The Nile: History of Ancient Egyptian Jewelry
Over thousands of years, jewelry has been worn by many people. Whether to show beauty, wealth or belief there is no era that can compare to the jewels of Ancient Egypt. At the beginning of the kingdom, precious stones and metals were discovered and worn like never seen before. Unfortunately, the remaining Egyptian jewelry that is displayed in Museums today is only a small fraction of what actually existed due to grave robbers. Questions such as how jewelry started, how it was made and worn, what the symbolization of jewelry was and who were the people that wore jewelry in Ancient Egypt will be answered. It is said that Egyptians always had knowledge of metal work but the existence of metal being used for jewelry dates back to the Pre-dynasty era in the Ancient Empire. Before metals and stones were worn, Egyptians used painted bones, shells and wood and for their jewelry. Not long after, as jewelry evolved, the use of precious stones and metals was adopted. Early egyptians were able to obtain most of the jewels from the Nile but the first uses of metals such as copper and bronze were found mostly in the Sinai Peninsula or other mines nearby. Gold and gemstones were also found in this area [1]. Eventually, Egyptians discovered that mixing tin
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[1] Perrot, Georges, and Chipiez, Charles. History of Art in Ancient Egypt Volume 2. (London; Chapman and Hall Limited, 1883). 337-381. and copper could make a stronger metal, Bronze. By the sixth dynasty, Egyptians were able to import all types of metals and stones from other locations. Asia contributed to the import of silver and it is now understood that Egyptians believed it was more rare than gold. Quartz came from the mountains between the Nile River and the Red Sea. The oldest metal used was gold but it was not before the twelfth dynasty that evidence showing
Over thousands of years, jewelry has been worn by many people. Whether to show beauty, wealth or belief there is no era that can compare to the jewels of Ancient Egypt. At the beginning of the kingdom, precious stones and metals were discovered and worn like never seen before. Unfortunately, the remaining Egyptian jewelry that is displayed in Museums today is only a small fraction of what actually existed due to grave robbers. Questions such as how jewelry started, how it was made and worn, what the symbolization of jewelry was and who were the people that wore jewelry in Ancient Egypt will be answered. It is said that Egyptians always had knowledge of metal work but the existence of metal being used for jewelry dates back to the Pre-dynasty era in the Ancient Empire. Before metals and stones were worn, Egyptians used painted bones, shells and wood and for their jewelry. Not long after, as jewelry evolved, the use of precious stones and metals was adopted. Early egyptians were able to obtain most of the jewels from the Nile but the first uses of metals such as copper and bronze were found mostly in the Sinai Peninsula or other mines nearby. Gold and gemstones were also found in this area [1]. Eventually, Egyptians discovered that mixing tin
____________________________________________________________
__________________
[1] Perrot, Georges, and Chipiez, Charles. History of Art in Ancient Egypt Volume 2. (London; Chapman and Hall Limited, 1883). 337-381. and copper could make a stronger metal, Bronze. By the sixth dynasty, Egyptians were able to import all types of metals and stones from other locations. Asia contributed to the import of silver and it is now understood that Egyptians believed it was more rare than gold. Quartz came from the mountains between the Nile River and the Red Sea. The oldest metal used was gold but it was not before the twelfth dynasty that evidence showing