Egyptian Scarab Dangle Pierced Earrings with Lapis and Carnelians

A Pharaoh's Name on Your Ears: Egyptian Scarab Earrings

A gold plated scarab hangs from each ear, flanked by blue lapis and orange-red carnelian. The scarab is shown on both sides. These Egyptian scarab earrings take their shape from the sacred beetle. They are Egyptian dangle earrings with a story.

The back of each scarab carries an inscription. These Tutankhamun scarab earrings repeat the name of a very famous king.

Product Details

• Material: 24K gold plated pewter, lapis and carnelian
• Ear wires: Gold filled
• Dimensions: 2 in L x 0.25 in W each
• Style: Pierced Egyptian dangle earrings
• Origin: Made in USA

What the Inscription Says

The original design is a scarab possibly from the New Kingdom, about 1300 to 1000 B.C. Its base reads Tut Ankh Amun, ruler of southern Heliopolis. In Egyptian usage that means Thebes, the sacred area known today as Karnak.

Scarabs were often used as seals. A name carved on the base marked who owned a thing. Tutankhamun scarab earrings bring that practice to mind.

The Beetle of the Morning Sun

Khepera was the god of the morning sun. The Egyptians saw the beetle roll a ball across the ground and thought of the sun rising. The Met describes the scarab as an amulet of renewal in this life and the next.

Lapis and Carnelian Earrings

Egyptian jewelers loved the pairing of blue and red. Lapis lazuli came from far away and carried the weight of the night sky. Carnelian gave a warm, glowing orange. Lapis and carnelian earrings look rich without being loud.

Wearing and Display

These Egyptian scarab earrings are light on the ear. Gold filled wires suit sensitive ears better than many plated ones. Keep the stones dry.

Store the Egyptian scarab earrings in a small box. Lapis and carnelian earrings wear best away from water. See more in our Egyptian Museum Replicas and Museum Jewelry Earrings. Egyptian dangle earrings look best with hair pulled back.

About King Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun came to the throne as a boy in about 1332 B.C. and died around 1323 B.C. Howard Carter found his tomb in 1922, nearly intact. That discovery made the king's name famous again, and Tutankhamun scarab earrings still draw on it.

For More Reading from the Web

• Read how a dung beetle rolling the sun across the sky became an amulet of rebirth. Egyptian scarab earrings carry that idea. Scarab, New Kingdom - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Learn what was carved under a heart scarab. The earrings borrow the same idea of a name on the base. Heart Scarab - Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum