Precious and semi-precious stones were used in ancient Egypt for amulets, (a protective devices worn around the body, or
placed next to other objects, to protect them from various evils), beads, jewelry, scarabs (The scarab was based on the image of
the dung beetle, or Scarabeus Sacer, and it was used by the ancient Egyptians for many purposes such as recording historical
events or inscribing prayers to be placed on mummies for protection against evil), and other personal ornaments. Precious and
Semi-precious stones were also used as inlay for the decoration of boxes, coffins, furniture and other objects. The stones that
were referred to in ancient Egyptian text were some of the following: agates, amethyst, beryl, calcite, carnelian chalcedony, coral
feldspar, granite, hematite, jade, jasper, lapis lazuli, malachite, olivine, onyx, pearl, peridot, sard, sardonyx and turquoise. They
also used resins such as amber, as a gem stone although it isn’t a stone at all. Many of the stones were used as early as the
Badarina and predynastic times others were not used until much later. With a few exceptions all of the stones were native to
Egypt.
One of the widely used minerals in ancient Egypt is chalcedony also know as quartz. Chalcedony is the basis for many of the
precious and semi-precious stones used by the Egyptians. Agates (reddish brown white banded quartz ) occurs plentifully in
Egypt, chiefly in the form of pebbles, but it has been found also in small quantity associated with jasper (strong red fined
grained quartz) these were mainly found at the head of Wadi Abu Gerida in the eastern desert. These stones were used for
beads, amulets, and other small objects but was basically limited to jewelry.
Another type of quartz that was used readily was Amethyst. Amethyst is usually purple color. It was used largely in ancient
Egypt in the form of beads, chiefly for necklaces. Most of the amethyst found in Egypt during Old Kingdom was from the
northwest of Abu Simbel. In the Middle Kingdom, the main source was found at Wadi el Hudi, about twenty miles southeast of
Aswan.
Another very beautiful stone found in Egypt was Beryl, which can be an array of colors but only found in green in Egypt. The
more common name for this is the emerald. This was used as a gemstone and bead. Beryl occurs in the Sikait-Zubara region
of the Red Sea hills. Although there has been some discrepancy on when exactly the emerald was used in Egypt but they do
know that it was chiefly used during the Ptolemaic times.
One of the other stones used by the Egyptians was a group of minerals called garnet. The garnet that was used by the
Egyptians was dark red a reddish-brown translucent stone that occurs plentifully in the country, mainly at Aswan, in eastern
desert, at Kharga Oasis and in Sinai. The stones were usually very small and were only used for beads and inlays. They date
back as early as the predynastic times but were mainly used in the Second Intermediate period.
Turquoise was one of the most versatile stone that was used in ancient Egypt. It was used primarily as pigment in dye for glaze
and paints and readily used for jewelry. Turquoise was found mainly in Sinai, at Wadi Magharah and Serabit el Khadim, where
the stone occurs in seams in the sandstone rock. The stone is typically a light blue but can also be a greenish-blue. Turquoise
was used in Egypt as early as the Neolithic and predynastic periods.
Ancient Egyptians and other Africans spent significant time in the excavation and use of lapidary minerals. They would take
long excursions through the deserts in search for rare minerals. They would usually bring the stone back to Egypt to offer to
their god(s) also the pharaoh.
A more detailed expose is available in Survey of The Scientific, Magical and Occult Properties of Gems and Metals: An
Investigation and Critical Analysis, J. E. Wright.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Part One