Amethyst Scarab Bracelet of Tutankhamun

This masterpiece of a amethyst scarab bracelet was found in the beautiful cartouche shaped chest of King Tutankhamun with other fine pieces of jewelry. The main element in the design is the light violet amethyst scarab with details, as is common with scarabs of this hard stone.

It is in an oval setting decorated with gold granules arranged in a pattern of small triangles. It is framed by gold and stones beads ending with two cobras, sign of royalty. The strap of the bracelet consists of four strings of beads of gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and jasper in the form of tiny eyes of Horus and scarabs.

The ancient Egyptians adopted the scarab (Ateuchus sacer) as a symbol of the sun god, because they were familiar with the sight of the beetle rolling a ball of dung on the ground and this action suggested to them that the invisible power that rolled the sun daily across the sky could be represented pictorially as a scarab.

In the ancient Egyptian language the words for the scarab and for existence were identical (kheper). The name of the sun god, on his first appearance every morning, was Khepri. In hieroglyphs the scarab sign was used for all three words.

From the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, West Thebes. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 62380