Cameo rings, pendants and so much more!

Russian hand-painted cameos

Scarabs

everal species of the dung beetle, most notably the Scarabaeus sacer (often referred to as scarab), enjoyed a sacred status among the ancient Egyptians. Some scholars suggest that the people's practice of making a mummy was inspired by the brooding process of the beetle.

The image of the scarab, conveying ideas of transformation, renewal, and resurrection, is ubiquitous in ancient Egyptian religious and funerary art.

Excavations of ancient Egyptian sites have yielded images of the scarab in bone, ivory, stone, Egyptian faience, and precious metals, dating from the Sixth Dynasty and up to the period of Roman rule. They are generally small, bored to allow stringing on a necklace, and the base bears a brief inscription or cartouche. Some have been used as seals. Pharaohs sometimes commissioned the manufacture of larger images with lengthy inscriptions, such as the commemorative scarab of Queen Tiye. Massive sculptures of scarabs can be seen at Luxor Temple, at the Serapeum in Alexandria (see Serapis) and elsewhere in Egypt.

The scarab remains an item of popular interest thanks to modern fascination with the art and beliefs of ancient Egypt. Scarab beads in semiprecious stones or glazed ceramics can be purchased at most bead shops, while at Luxor Temple a massive ancient scarab has been roped off to discourage visitors from rubbing the base of the statue "for luck".

"Dung beetle." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 May 2006, 16:38 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.