The Egyptian culture is steeped with a rich history going back thousands of years. Long ago pharaohs were buried with much of their wealth as a sign of their importance. One of the most significant and lasting legacies of the ancient Egyptians is the beautiful jewelry and other ornaments that have survived to present day. Often these adornments were fashioned with religious symbols and icons, or they were more personal to tell the story about a single person or event. Most of the more famous pharaohs' tombs have been discovered in the last century and there has been a renewed fascination with the ancient styles. The makers of the pharaoh's jewelry are long gone, but fine examples of the originals can be seen in museum displays around the world.
It has taken time to compile these wondrous exhibits because of ancient looters who had broken into sealed tombs and stolen the artifacts. But it has been worth the wait. The style and detail is still evident in the modern day reproductions. These reproductions can be found in specialty shops and online. Since the discovery and exhibition of items found in pyramids, a new market has developed for reproductions.
Because of the information that has been learned about ancient Egyptians, modern day people like to own a piece of their history. The craftsman of old passed down their skill through many generations of their family. But unlike ancient times when laborers had taken weeks or years to produce a single piece it can now be done in hours by modern machines. Mass produced replicas are sought after by a new era of appreciative customers. The legacy left behind by these skilled craftsmen is to tell the story of how they lived and who they were.
It is possible to plot the history of people and events through the style of their jewelry. Gold was the basis for many ornamental items; this is evident in the amount of gold found in the mummies tombs. Often during times of war the precious metals once used to make jewelry were instead used to make weapons, this made articles from these eras even more valuable. So when searching for authentic ancient Egyptian jewelry, especially from the more exciting times of war, the seekers can only get a reproduction. Reproductions can be better than the originals since there are new processes to make them lighter and more user friendly.
Can you imagine wearing a 10lb necklace made of gold and jewels? It can be very entertaining and fashionable to wear a reproduction to celebrate the rich history of other cultures. So put on your reproduction jewelry and imagine you are floating down the Nile on a barge.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Gold Jewelry at http://www.goldjewelrydiscounted.com