During the early 19th century, the discoveries of ancient archaeological finds influenced and introduced what is referred to as "Egyptian Revival Jewelry." The first Egyptian Revival period began around the 1820’s, inspired by the unearthing of ancient Egyptian ruins during that time. Images such as the scarab beetle, sphinxes, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics became popular motifs in fashion. Pieces were often crafted using a material known as Egyptian Paste or "faience", which is the oldest form of non-clay glazed ceramic and usually found in a range of blue and green colors.
In the 1920’s, there was another unearthing of treasures, making the trend popular once again. This scarab pendant is from that era—the third Egyptian Revival period. The scarab is a turquoise colored faience bead that has a brown dye that delineates the carving and hieroglyphics. The scarab has a crude gold bezel that wraps around the scarab and connects to a 14k gold jump ring.
The pendant measures 1 “ from the bottom of the bead to the top of the bale. The scarab measures 3/4” x 1/2”. The bale measures 5.75 mm. The piece weighs 2.32 grams. The gold is unmarked and acid tests as 14k.
The scarab is in excellent condition for its age and is ready to hang on a chain of your choice. We have other sizes and colors of scarab jewelry available in our shop.
