Ancient Egypt, Late Period Necklace and Earrings with Egyptian Lapis Lazuli, carnelian and faience beads

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Necklace and earrings with authentic Egyptian faience, Lapis Lazuli and carnelian beads. The authentic ancient beads are carefully restrung with modern materials and fittings.

Necklace: ± 50 cm
Diameter beads: ± 8,6 mm

Earrings: ± 55 mm total length (including hooks)
Diameter beads: ± 6,7 mm maximum

Condition: good condition and wearable. The ancient beads are restrung and combined with modern gold-plated spacer beads and fittings. Signs of wear consistent with age and use. See images.

Ancient beads:
All authentic ancient beads are slightly different in shape or colour shade and show different signs of wear or iridescence. This adds to the charm of each piece and makes every composition unique.

Certificate of Authenticity available upon request (pdf-document).


LAPIS LAZULI was associated with strength, courage, royalty, wisdom and truth. The dark blue colour reminded the Egyptian of the night skies and the gold pyrite flecks as the stars. It was favoured by the Egyptian pharaohs and was famously used in the burial mask of King Tutankhamun.

CARNELIAN
The Egyptians believed carnelian had magical powers; it was believed it could ward off evil, help the blood circulation and make the skin look healthy and youthful.
Carnelian was known as the 'Blood of Isis' (Goddess of nature and guide of souls to the Underworld). Accordingly, a carnelian amulet called a 'thet' was placed on mummies to assist the dead in their journey to the afterlife.
The Egyptian faith in carnelian was so strong that, along with turquoise and lapis lazuli, it was the most used stone in ancient Egyptian jewellery.

FAIENCE
Faience was very popular and widely used in ancient Egypt. The earliest evidence of faience production was discovered in a 7500 years old workshop near the temple in Abydos. The production and style of faience changed through Egyptian history.

Different colourants were used for aesthetic and symbolic purposes, or to imitate the more expensive and rare semi-precious gemstones like turquoise, carnelian, lapis lazuli, garnets or obsidian. Egyptians believed that faience in the colour of gemstones had the same properties. Red had protective powers, dark lapis blue gave strength, courage and wisdom, bright turquoise was associated with fertility and offered protection to the wearer.

As faience was more available than semi-precious gemstones it became a popular and widely used material for small objects like scarabs and other forms of amulets, beads, jewellery, small size statuettes, cosmetic vessels and ritual objects.

In ancient Egypt, faience objects were seen as magical, reflecting the eternal shimmer of the sun and infused with the powers of rebirth and sparkle with the brilliance of eternity.