Celebrity Tori Spelling got this scarab charm bracelet as a gift from her husband. Lovely!
Photo of Tori Spelling’s scarab bracelet
3-D printing technology used to create scarab pendant
Wow. These lifelike scarabs made by artist D. Allan Drummond are custom made to order in stainless steel, silver, gold plate, bronze with an assortment of finishes. Info and comments here, ordering page and more photos here.
‘Scarabs to wear’ presented by Greek Jewellery Designer Lito Karakostanoglou
Shown in Paris this winter, real scarabs made into jewelry…
Scarab Jewelry.org to feature Egyptian-made items
Following the struggle for democracy in Egypt, and in support of artisans there, this Spring we’re featuring Egyptian-made scarabs. We hope that you find the selection of jewelry available interesting and meaningful. Scarabs made in the US and other countries can still be found in other pages of the gallery.
About Egyptian scarab jewelry: overview of symbolism
Pendant in the form of a boat showing scarabs
In ancient Egypt, scarab jewelry was highly symbolic and was worn for thousands of years. The scarab is associated with renewal and rebirth so was worn in the form of beads or amulets for good luck and protection. Egyptian soldiers were given scarab charms for bravery; women were given them for fertility. The scarab symbol was also used in signet rings and seals for official purposes.
Scarab jewelry was made from a wide range of materials and so could be worn by anyone rich or poor. Materials included soapstone, green basalt, glazed steatite, gold, glass, bronze, ivory, clay and even wood. Precious stones carved into scarabs include carnelian, jasper, turquoise, amethyst, lapis lazuli and onyx. Stone or clay scarabs were often brighly enameled or glazed in blue, green or red. These colors had their own meanings, with blue symbolizing the Nile River, green with renewal, and red symbolizing the Egyptian sun god Ra. Today, scarab jewelry is still made with these same colors in lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, or enamels. Scarab jewelry is available today in a wide variety of metals including 18k gold, sterling silver, pewter, and bronze (see Scarab Jewelry.org gallery.)
The scarab beetles themselves are from the family Scarabaeidae or dung beetle. Egyptians were fascinated with several species of this beetle, but one type, Scarabaeus sacer or “the sacred scarab”, was seen as an earthly representation of Khepri, the the Egyptian god of the rising sun. Just as the dung beetle rolls a ball that it’s young will emerge from, the Egyptians believed Khepri rolls the sun across the sky, symbolizing regeneration and fertility.
Other symbolism in the scarab include the number of toes (30 – as in 30 days of the month) and the number of days it takes for the young to hatch from the dung ball (28 – as in the number of days for the moon to pass through all 12 signs of the zodiac.) One type of scarab, the green scarab, Ateuchus sacer Egyptiorium captured the imaginationof Egyptians with its larger size and mezmerizing green color. Looking at this beetle, or reproduction in green stone or enamel, was thought to relieve eye fatigue.
The symbology of scarab jewelry will be explored in more depth in future posts of this blog. I welcome your comments and input!
Looking for the new scarabs?
Scarabs for this season are available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys in their jewelry and accessory departments. There are clutch purses, rings, and bracelets still available as of this writing. (Designer: Bottega Veneta).
Scarab jewelry at flea markets?
Hope some of you out there are having luck finding vintage scarabs at flea markets! I see it on e-bay…
Scarab Jewelry for Fall 2010: Eye Candy
Bottega Veneta came out with some amazing scarab bracelets, pendants and clutch purses for Fall 2010. Here are a couple of images from Milan. Other beetle-inspired accents include iridescent green and black leather bags and shoes. Update: ready-to-wear accessories are now being sold — they’re beautiful!
57 new Egyptian tombs unearthed – interest in Egyptian religion revived
Tombs with mummies and funerary objects were unearthed in Egypt this month, as announced on May 23, 2010 by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo. Historically, interest in scarabs and neo-Egyptian jewelry have followed new discoveries and exhibitions of this kind. The first image I have shows a sarcophagus with a turquoise winged scarab design.
Layered scarab jewelry shown in Milan
This look from Bottega Veneta is inspiring us to try some of our own experimentation. There are pendants and beads in the scarab jewelry gallery that can be layered with your own chains for creating a similar look.
Scarabs Show up for 2010 in Milan
Scarab jewelry got some press in February at Milan Fashion Week for Fall 2010. Bottega Veneta featured jaw-dropping scarab beetle designs in bracelets, cuffs, earrings, belts, and even purses– wow. I’ll post some images ASAP.
Other neo-Egyptian motifs were shown by in February by Etro and Diane von Furstenberg. Keep watching…
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Scarab jewelry and the zodiac
In ancient Egypt, where the scarab was a symbol of renewal of life, people wore scarab jewelry for protection and luck. Study of ancient astrology has shown that the scarab symbol was also associated with the sign of Cancer. In both the Egyptian zodiac (Denderah) and the Hindu zodiac (Esneh) “Cancer” is represented not by a crab but by the scarab beetle.
The scarab’s life cycle consists of a metamorphosis from a larvae to a winged creature. The ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab spontaneously regenerated itself, which is one reason it came to represent renewal of life and resurrection. This life cycle and symbolism is consistent with Cancer mythology in which the crab is resurrected and raised to the heavens. The zodiac sign of Cancer also represents birth and lifegiving force similar to traditional scarab symbolism.
Today, the scarab beetle is still associated with protection and renewal of life force. For further study, there are books on scarabs, as well as scarab jewelry and decor in the scarab jewelry gallery.
Scarab jewelry — look for it in “Egyptian accents” trend
What comes around goes around… look for a revival of the Egyptian jewelry trend in 2010. Recently seen: Egyptian style necklaces, chokers, and cuffs in gold. This past summer Tory Burch came out with handbags and belts studded with scarabs.
Egyptian accents play into the “warrior princess” look we’ll be hearing about this spring. I’ll keep an eye out for new offerings to feature in the online scarab jewelry gallery.
Scarab jewelry was first popular in the 1950s and saw a revival with the tour of King Tut’s tomb in the late 1970′s. Vintage scarab jewelry and it’s recreations feature scarabs cast in precious metals or carved from brightly colored gemstones.
Scarab beetles: youtube video
Here’s a great video of scarabs, aka dung beetles, at work. The commentary is classic.
Scarab jewelry and heart scarabs: history
Scarab jewelry was mainly worn by Egyptians for luck and protection day to day. However larger “heart scarabs” were used in funeral preparations to protect the deceased in the afterlife. Archeologists have found heart scarabs in tombs and in the bandages of mummies.
Use of the heart scarab is based on the ancient Egyptians’ belief that the heart (not the brain) was the center of memory and emotion. For those who could afford it, a heart scarab made of green or dark stone would be placed over the heart in the bandages to keep the heart from confessing sins during the final judgement. Based on chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead, Osiris and 42 dieties would perform the “Weighing of the Heart” ceremony as part of this final judgement. Heart scarabs often had the following heiroglyphic expression carved on the underside:
“O my heart which I had upon earth…do not speak against me concerning what I have done.” (from Chapter 30A of the Book of the Dead)
The most famous heart scarab is from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Popular interest in scarab jewelry increased in the 20th century after the opening of the tomb and worldwide tour of King Tut’s treasures.
