Egyptian Necklaces: History, Style, and How to Wear One

Egyptian Necklaces are an easy accessory to wear that can be updated in a matter of minutes. Whether you’re looking for something that will give your outfit some extra flair, or you’re looking for the perfect gift, Egyptian necklaces are a brilliant choice. They’re stylish and can be used as communication – not to mention the historical significance they hold. This blog post will give you all the information you need to know about Egyptian necklaces: their ancient and modern history, style, why, and how to wear one.

The History of Egyptian Necklaces

Ancient Egyptians believed the gods created that headstone. They put all the qualities of an individual in the headstone, as well as the order in which they created it. According to the Egyptians, the headstone would show the good qualities and virtues of the deceased, as well as its rebirth to the realm of the gods after death.

The Egyptians believed each necklace represented an Egyptian’s individual quality, rather than a particular job or talent. Their paintings and sculptures are the earliest known examples of the Egyptian style. The style is very symbolic in Egyptian art and architecture all over the world.

Egypt was in a constant state of war from the 16th to the 18th centuries, because of its vast territories and the extensive empires that ruled over it. As a result, the society’s population needed constant protection, thus why necklaces became so popular.

According to The Met Museum, the most popular style of Egyptian necklaces comprised hunting horn baubles. Baubles are small hollow, decorative pieces made out of carved horns, which would have originally had a purpose for hunting for food.

In addition, the population was superstitious, so people believed that the hollow pieces of horn in their necklaces were the equivalent of a sign or greeting from the gods.

The Meaning Behind the Necklace

First things first: what exactly are Egyptian necklaces and what do they symbolize? Ancient Egyptians wore many types of necklaces. Their purpose was decorative, but they also wore several necklaces to represent different aspects of Egyptian culture. For example, to signify the city of Alexandria, Egyptians wore the beryl-encrusted necklace with the depictions of the goddess Ma’at.

Ancient Egyptian Mummified Heads

The beryl-encrusted necklace worn by the goddess Ma’at was also the most important piece of ceremonial jewelry made by the ancient Egyptians. Each beryl bead represents one of the 4 elemental forces in the Egyptian cosmos – air, water, fire, and earth. The beryl also symbolizes peace, harmony, and stability.

Although we think of Egyptian necklaces as jewelry, they have more of a spiritual significance. The ancient Egyptians worshipped various Gods and goddesses, and they believed these links could protect the wearer from bad luck and misfortune. While it wasn’t uncommon for someone to wear multiple Egyptian necklaces, they did not wear these necklaces as jewelry. Instead, the Egyptians would wear them on top of or under their clothes to show that they were an ambassador from God. Thus, as we’ve seen above, they were worn with pride and confidence.

I wore them as bracelets, but you can also wear them as ankle chains, belt loops, or clips. They mostly made these necklaces of copper, but they weren’t just for decoration.

The Necklace Style

Although ancient Egyptian women probably made their necklaces out of animal bone, precious stones, and semi-precious stones, contemporary Egyptian women often wear larger and more ornate necklaces with a variety of semi-precious stones. Smaller, intricately designed necklaces can be worn by both men and women as well. There are over 4,000 different Egyptian jewels – all of which come in multiple colors, all of which come in a wide variety of shapes, and all of which have some sort of religious significance.

Ancient Egyptian Women

Egyptian women used necklaces to communicate with the gods. The most popular motif was the Eye of Horus. They often find this symbol of power and authority in Egyptian artwork and on modern-day Egyptian coins.

Men traditionally wore necklaces, and they did not expect women to wear necklaces until much later in Egyptian history. Ancient Egyptians wore simple jewelry comprising bracelets, earrings, and nose rings. However, the latter half of the 2nd Dynasty saw the introduction of the first necklaces, made from precious stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, coral, and agate.

Necklaces are symbolic of status and wealth, so we strictly reserved them for royalty. As time passed, jewelry became more feminine and more commonplace. Women could then wear earrings and necklaces too, which were popular among both men and women.

How to Wear an Egyptian Necklace

There are countless ways to wear an Egyptian necklace. It can wear it or with other pieces of jewelry. Some styles, like the soft flat ones, look best worn alone. Others, like the gold embroidered type, make a great headpiece, or the girls look great when they wear them around their necks. A multi-link strand of gold or silver, for example, looks great when worn around the neck as a pendant. People who do not need other accessories usually wear around the neck this style.

Egyptian Necklace History

Ancient Egyptians make the world’s first jewelry. They made beautiful silver and gold jewelry as far back as 2600 B.C.E, but they were not the only ones.

Egyptian necklaces are a little more unique than other necklaces, mainly because of their array of options. They have options for choosing whether to wear a simple, all-black, gold-colored, or silver-toned necklace. What’s more, there are options for a single gold necklace or a double. For those looking to follow fashion and culture, they are a great option as well. These options can give you plenty of design options to choose from and they are easy to get the perfect look without a lot of effort.

Types of necklaces to wear with different outfits

Egyptian jewelry is all about history and heritage. These ancient pieces of jewelry take you back in time. In addition to their ancient history, their style has a lot to do with how they’re worn. You can choose to wear these necklaces with an outfit that’s a mix of modern-day and ancient Egyptian styles, or you can choose to wear them with an outfit that’s completely classic Egyptian.

An Egyptian necklace in ancient Egyptian styles, consisting of gold and purple minerals, used for centuries to adorn important artifacts.

Egyptian jewelers at work.

Image from The History Channel.

Many Egyptian necklaces come in many colors, but some are just as luxurious as a white pearl. Egyptian jewelers often adorn their necklaces with rare and expensive gemstones such as amethysts, rubies, or emeralds, which signify power, wealth, and authority. When it comes to the colors, it’s a good idea to stick with one shade or to wear all-white necklaces with your outfit.

A studded necklace (an ancient Egyptian art) with a red rubicund stone.

See also: Wedding gift