ArtFire

These handmade dangles are tailor-made for scarab lovers! They feature lovely reddish brown carved goldstone beads with tiny pinpoints of metallic glitter. Goldstone contains copper, and so the wires for these earrings are a perfect match. I wrapped the wire carefully around the sides of the stones and used more freeform wrappiing at the top and bottom. Malachite and carnelian were natural choices as additions to the scarab beads. Both gemstones were commonly used in ancient jewelry, and the rich variegated green of malachite combines beautifully with warm reddish carnelians and earthiness of the goldstone. These smaller stones are wirewrapped, with a copper bead added atop the malachite dangle.

Goldstone is a man-made creation (see my info on this stone below), and yet has a magical quality to it that makes it seem quite natural in terms of scarab carving.

The earrings have copper hooks and their length is around 2 1/4 inches, including hooks. (Please see my photos for a picture of the earrings beside a ruler.) The ear wires come with clear earnuts, to keep these dangles more secure on your ears.

Fun, stylish, and meaningful, these are great pair for any scarab fan!


About Scarabs:

To the ancient Egyptians, scarab beetles were sacred and honored as symbols of life's renewal and restoration. Their carved images, typically fashioned from some sort of stone and often glazed, were used in many ways, from ornaments to amulets to official seals to a means of inscribing prayers for the deceased in the afterlife. Scarabs were associated with the divinity of the rising sun, Khepri. Supposedly by the mid second century BC, carved scarabs were widely produced and popularly considered good luck charms.

About the Gemstones:

Goldstone - This is a man-made stone, but it is commonly included in the roster of natural gemstones. Other names for it include "stellaria," "adventurine glass," and "monk's gold." Legend has it that goldstone was an accidental creation of alchemists during the Middle Ages. However, recorded history dates it back to 17th-century Venice, with the Miotti family as its creators. The stone is a form of glass. Red-brown goldstone includes copper, and is considered a stone of vitality and energy.

Malachite - This gemstone was highly regarded by and widely used in many ancient cultures (including Egyptian), and is considered a transformative stone that is protective in many ways. Supposedly it guards the wearer from negative energy forces and is beneficial for travelers to wear. There are many other reputed benefits to malachite, including its power to reduce shyness, to help fight depression, to nuture harmonious human relationships, and to help build the strength for needed change. It is linked to the heart chakra, and associated with the astrological sign of Taurus.

Carnelian - A form of chalcedony and member of the quartz family, carnelian is a lovely regal-looking gemstone that has been used for jewelry since ancient times. It is considered a powerful healing stone with many influencing properties. These include dispelling fear, building courage, strengthening confidence, increasing creativity, and honing mental focus and clarity. Carnelian is also associated with protection against evil. It is linked to August as a birthstone and to the astrological sign of Virgo, and is related to the sacral chakra.

I've loved scarab anything ever since I was little girl and entranced by my teenage sister's multi-gemmed scarab bracelet. The carved gems seemed so mysterious and magical to me. I had no idea they represented sacred BUGS, though - and perhaps that was a good thing. :)

To make a piece of jewelry using scarab beads has been a rather special experience for me, and many wishes for the rising sun of all good things went into the making.

Goldstone scarab beads, malachite rounds (6mm), carnelian beads (4mm), copper beads, copper wire, copper hooks, earnuts