$ 98.00
Special Note: This is a one-of-a-kind Mummy Bead & Wax Seal Necklace made with Mummy Beads dating to approximately 800 BC, which were excavated from an ancient Egyptian dig site. For more about Mummy Beads, see below. I will custom-finish your necklace to the length you choose. Use the drop-down menu to choose the length you would like!
This is my newest seal... it's just shy of 100-years-old! This pendant is made with a seal ring that was made in the late 1920s when all of Europe was going "Tut" crazy with the 1922 discovery of King Tut's tomb. It bears a large, striking Ankh... the symbol of life to the ancient Egyptians - a symbol that is still seen today. Perhaps the most recognized of all ancient Egyptian symbols, it is a powerful reminder of the eternal nature of life.
Please Note: I create each piece of Sealed in Time jewelry one-at-a-time by hand. Slight variances are natural, and are part of the joy of a hand-crafted piece of jewelry! Your "Egyptian Ankh" seal will be created with the actual 1920s AD Sterling Silver seal ring!
The Story of Ancient Egyptian Mummy Beads
Step back into ancient Egypt... 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, a pulverized quartz sand blended to a paste, it was rolled around a straight straw reed and then cut into discs and tubes. Each piece was then fired... and thats where the real work began. Each 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." They 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.
