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Special Note: This is a Mummy Bead Necklace made with Mummy Beads dating to approximately 800 BC, which were excavated from an ancient Egyptian dig site.
These small, beautifully-colored beads are authentic Ancient Egyptian artifacts known as Mummy Beads, and they have a fascinating story to tell.
The Nile, flowing snake-like in the summer sun... children playing by the banks while parents tilled the fertile fields. Water, sky, lush green crops - color everywhere.
And the color was not just found in the natural world. The people of ancient Egypt loved colorful makeup and adornments - from the gold and glittering gems reserved for the wealthiest, to the colorful beads made from more humble materials. It is these beads that you see here.
Made from Faience, each bead began when pulverized quartz sand mixed with natural minerals like cobalt, copper and magnesium was blended into a paste. Next, the paste was rolled around a straight straw reed and then cut into discs and tubes.
Every bead became part of an intricately netted piece of jewelry or clothing appliqué. Netted faience beads were worn in collars, on fabric panels and in all manner of jewelry. And, like most items of value in ancient Egypt, they were often buried with the mummified individual who owned them - to be discovered in modern times. Hence the term "Mummy Beads."
Mummy Beads were made in a rainbow of muted colors, including shades of brick red, sable brown, light yellow, ivory, sage green, royal blue, coal and even subtle turquoise. Each bead is approximately 1/8" diameter x 1/16" width. Because each is handmade, faience Mummy Beads are not uniform in size or shape, each is a completely unique, authentic artifact excavated from an ancient Egyptian site.
