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Decorations: Jewels

Jewels were among the principal objects introduced into Egypt from Arabia and India. The mines of their own desert did, indeed, supply emeralds, and these were worked as early, at least, as the reign of Amunoth III., or 1425 years B.C., but many other stones must have come from India. In ancient Egypt, when a case was brought up for trial, it was customary for the archjudge to put a gold chain round his neck, to which was attached a jewelled figure of Thmei, or truth. Jewels and gold were amongst the ornaments of the rich, consisting of earrings, armlets, bracelets, anklets, finger-rings, chains, plates for wearing on the breast, etc. Of such bijouterie there are a considerable number of specimens in the British Museum, as there are also examples from Kouyunjik (Nineveh), of about 700 years B.C.; with necklaces and ear-rings from Babylon, of somewhat later date. A bracelet is inscribed with the name of Namrut (Nimrod), dating 500 years B.C. The Egyptian and Assyrian jewellers were very expert. They could cut the hardest stones by some method unknown to us, and engrave and polish them. In the days of Solomon, Palmyra the Superb, which owed its splendour to the opulence and public spirit of its merchants, was the emporium for gems and gold and luxuries of every kind.