| As Egypt is the cradle of civilization, no | | | | were welded together. Soldering was known |
| doubt that it is also the cradle of the | | | | since the 4th dynasty at least. The work of |
| arts and the home of craftsmanship. Personal | | | | Egyptian gold and silversmiths also |
| ornaments appear to have been among the | | | | included Hammered work, engraved, incised and |
| very first objects on which the invention and | | | | chased work. The combinations of layers of |
| ingenuity of man were exercised. In the | | | | gold plates, together with colored stones |
| beginning, natural objects, such as small | | | | were also present. Gold was also widely |
| shells, dried berries, small perforated | | | | used in gilding other less precious materials |
| stones, feathers of variegated colors, were | | | | such as wood and stone. Cloisonné and |
| combined by stringing or tying together to | | | | filigree were already known at that time. The |
| ornament the head, neck, arms and legs, the | | | | cloisonné technique was used in |
| fingers, and even the toes. | | | | pectorals and pendants. It created outlines |
| | | | of figures and symbols with gold wires that |
| The earliest examples of Egyptian jewelry | | | | were then soldered to sheets of beaten gold |
| which have come down to us are those of the | | | | and later inlaid with colored stones or |
| Pre dynastic period (more than 3000 years | | | | glass. Filigree, a delicate, lacelike |
| B.C.), where the Egyptians had been making | | | | ornamental work of gold or silver wire, was |
| beads and ornaments of semi precious stones | | | | mostly used in buckles and clasps of gold. |
| such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, cornelian, | | | | Granulation was the technique of creating |
| Quartz, Garnet, Turquoise , and other | | | | various designs by soldering very tiny gold |
| objects. They also used man made materials | | | | balls to the surface of gold sheets. The |
| such as glazed objects and colored glass | | | | stones used in the inlays were considered |
| imitating semi precious stones. Most of the | | | | to have magical properties based on their |
| materials used in making these beads were | | | | color. |
| chosen for their color symbolization or | | | | |
| amulet significance especially the ones used | | | | Egyptian craftsmen: |
| in making funerary jewelry, as they had a | | | | |
| religious and magical significance in the | | | | The standard of work of the Egyptian |
| Egyptian ancient world by protecting the | | | | goldsmiths was high from the beginning of the |
| wearer from evil. Turquoise for example was | | | | pharaonic age. Craftsmen in ancient Egypt |
| a symbol of fertility, good luck, and as | | | | were usually trained and skilled laborers. |
| protection from the evil eye. | | | | They were often well-respected in the |
| | | | community and had a comfortable lifestyle. |
| So as it appears, ancient Egyptians wore | | | | Yet every craftsman's lifestyle and social |
| various shapes and kinds of jewelry, some | | | | standing depended on the quality of his |
| of which are: | | | | skills and experience. Most craftsmen |
| | | | worked in temple workshops or palace |
| - Bracelets and Bangles: these ornaments | | | | workshops, for gold and silver jewelry were |
| often came in matching sets. Ancient | | | | mostly reserved for the use of the gods, the |
| Egyptians also used the same term for | | | | kings and, to a lesser extent, the rich and |
| describing anklets. | | | | powerful. Very few Egyptian commoners |
| | | | possessed any gold jewelry. |
| - Finger rings: its earliest form was as | | | | |
| simple as rings made of stone. Later, rings | | | | The art of jewelry making reached its peak |
| were made of small strings of beads, | | | | in the Middle Kingdom, when Egyptians |
| gold-foil bands and wires of copper or | | | | mastered the technical methods and accuracy |
| silver closed by twisting the ends together. | | | | in making pieces of jewelry. During the New |
| | | | Kingdom, this art flourished in an |
| - Amulets of semi-precious stones: these were | | | | unprecedented way because of regular missions |
| charms worn by the living or placed on a | | | | to the Eastern Desert and Nubia to extract |
| mummy to ward off evil spirits or bring good | | | | metals. |
| luck. | | | | |
| | | | Famous discoveries: |
| - Cartouches: These were elliptical symbols | | | | |
| encircling the inscribed birth and | | | | It is to the tombs of ancient people that we |
| coronation names of the king. They were | | | | must look for evidence of the early |
| usually worn as pendants. | | | | existence of Egyptian jewelry. The jewelry of |
| | | | the ancient Egyptians has been preserved |
| - Pectorals: These are large pieces of | | | | for us in their tombs, sometimes in, and |
| jewelry, usually in the form of trapezoids, | | | | sometimes near the sarcophagi which |
| worn on the chest. | | | | contained the embalmed bodies of the wearers. |
| | | | This is due to the ancient Egyptian |
| - Necklaces: These were widely used among | | | | funerary beliefs that required that the |
| wealthy people, and were usually made of | | | | mummified body should be wearing the finest |
| precious metals such as gold and silver, and | | | | jewelry. A large number of such jewelry was |
| decorated with colored glass beads and | | | | found on the mummies; for example, wreaths, |
| semi-precious stones. | | | | crowns, or hair bands. On the head or wig, |
| | | | they fixed different types of ornaments, such |
| - Earrings: Theses were worn by both men and | | | | as small roses, golden bands, and some |
| women. | | | | simple bands of jewelry. There were also |
| | | | different types of belts, including waist |
| - Crowns: These were reserved for royalty. | | | | belts and belts with hanging vertical straps |
| They were made of gold or silver and | | | | ornamented with colored beads. Other types |
| decorated with semi-precious stones. | | | | of jewelry included earrings, bracelets, |
| | | | anklets, rings, and necklaces. |
| - Belts: These included waist belts and belts | | | | |
| with hanging vertical straps ornamented | | | | The earliest known example of Egyptian |
| with colored beads. They were usually found | | | | jewelry goes back to the first dynasty. It is |
| in tombs. | | | | a set of four bracelets found in the tomb |
| | | | of Zer at Abydos . By the Twelfth Dynasty the |
| - Vests: This kind of jewelry is only found | | | | jeweler's skill had attained something as |
| in ancient Egyptian jewelry. It was worn | | | | near perfection as is possible in an |
| around the chest. It was usually made of gold | | | | imperfect world. For technical skill, |
| or of gold-plated metal. Even when it was | | | | delicacy of handling and for the love of |
| made of a cheap material, it was painted | | | | nature which the design reveals there is |
| yellow to give a golden impression. | | | | nothing more fascinating than the two |
| | | | coronets of Khnemit, representing floral |
| Gold and silver Egyptian jewelry: | | | | garlands used at festivals and including most |
| | | | of the flowers and fruits grown in Egyptian |
| The real start of Egyptian jewelry was when | | | | gardens |
| ancient Egyptians had access to precious | | | | |
| metals, for even in ancient times, Egypt was | | | | One of the best known examples of the |
| envied for its underground treasures. At | | | | magnificence of Egyptian jewelry is the |
| first they got these metals from the | | | | jewelry of Tutankhamen's time (18 th |
| Eastern Desert and Nubia , later too as | | | | dynasty). Its treasures include gold filigree |
| tribute and spoils of war from Syria and | | | | and granulated gold-work, and you hardly |
| the north. Mining was often carried out by | | | | know what, amid such splendors, to admire |
| convicts under military control. This was | | | | most. The gold mask of the adolescent king, |
| a dangerous endeavor from which many of the | | | | the headdress and collar inlaid with colored |
| laborers probably never returned. | | | | glass, or the smaller specimens of the |
| | | | ancient jewelers' art including the |
| Up until the Middle Kingdom, silver was | | | | pectoral ornaments inlaid background of |
| considered as valuable to the Egyptians as | | | | cloisonné. Tutankhamun's collection is |
| gold, but after that time frame, Egyptians | | | | the most complete royal treasure ever |
| seem to have become fanatical over gold. | | | | discovered. |
| Egypt was richer in gold than any other | | | | |
| country of the region. Statues, furniture, | | | | If we have to speak of the production of |
| vessels and jewelry, above all in the royal | | | | jewelry as a modern art industry, we should |
| household and the temples, were often created | | | | say that nowadays, the craftsman of the |
| from these precious metals.jewelry working | | | | twentieth century follows methods and |
| techniques: | | | | traditions which his distant ancestors |
| | | | would recognize and understand, as these |
| The Egyptians knew two kinds of bonding | | | | techniques come down to us from very far |
| metals: welding and soldering. As early as | | | | days. |
| the Middle Kingdom little pieces of jewelry | | | | |