In ancient Egyptian material culture, the scarab appeared on seals, amulets and worn charms, often carrying hieroglyph inscriptions inside a cartouche. The oval-with-scalloped-border shape here draws on that seal form directly, with a raised inscription panel beneath sun-disc and radiating-ray imagery pulled from temple reliefs and jewelry of the period.
The motif also belongs to a much later revival tradition. Egyptian imagery surged through Western jewelry and decorative arts after the archaeological discoveries of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the scarab charm has circulated as a recognizable form in jewelry design ever since.
Each charm begins as a carved master with the hieroglyph detail cut into it, then is cast in pewter so the fine relief carries through. After casting, the pieces are cleaned, buffed and gold-plated; the plating settles into the recesses of the engraving to leave the antiqued, high-contrast surface. The French hook ear wires are formed and plated separately, then assembled by hand.
