In ancient Egypt, jewelry played a larger part in their society in culture rather than just as beautiful adornments upon one's body. Royalty and those in higher positions wore larger, more luxurious items. Some of these included gold, which was said to represent the gods, the sun, and eternity, as well as precious gems, including turquoise and emerald. Gold was reserved for the highest of the highs due to its great significance and what it represents. Pectoral pieces for the pharaohs, wrist cuffs, and brooches were often reserved for the nobility due to the fine material they were created with. Necklaces or rings that were created with multiple types of stones and metals were also more for the noble. These jewels were beautifully crafted by the finest craftsmen, making pieces with different stones and metals. Those that were mass-produced were more for the common people, as jewelry was a common item to be worn in everyday life. They were also quite smaller in size. Jewelry worn by the lower class were often simple necklaces, bracelets, or possibly even stones hung on a piece of string. Yet, jewelry held such high importance that even the lowest class of people could still be adorned with them in death, even if it were as simple as a small ring. It was believed that certain types of jewelry, such as amulets, would benefit them in the afterlife, such in the way that deceased pharaohs are given gold and other valuables in their tombs. The idea was that having these items in the tomb would help the deceased be fruitful and prosper in the afterlife. This can still be seen today, as many discoveries have been found of sarcophagi of past pharaohs filled with these extravagant jewels. Aside from the afterlife, jewelry held another spiritual aspect as well. According to Lauren Alexrod’s article, “The Art and History of Ancient Egyptian Jewelry,” ancient Egyptians wore jewelry as a way to guard themselves from spiritual forces. In the way that we, today, hold different items for good luck, like a rabbit’s foot, and such, ancient Egyptians believed the same with their jewelry. Different stones were believed to hold different powers as they represented nature; for example, turquoise was believed to represent the green of spring, lapis lazuli, a beautiful bright blue stone, represented the sky, and carnelian, a red-orange stone, represented the orange of the desert (Axelrod). Possibly, these stones would help ward off unwanted, mysterious forces or even bring good luck to the owner. In today’s world, jewelry is still very important and extremely valuable, just not to the extent that the ancient Egyptians viewed it as. The amount of detail and care that was put into these divine pieces is truly a work of art, so much so that it is still an inspiration in today’s society. Axelrod, Lauren. "The Art and History of Ancient Egyptian Jewelry." Knoji. n.d. Web.
