The ancient Egyptians made beautiful bracelets and armlets from gold, lapis, carnelian, red jasper, turquoise and malachite. They worked both with beads and with moulded pieces, and created some beautiful designs.
![Child's bracelet, Ptolemaic Period, Metropolitan Museum](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/snake-bracelet.jpg)
![Bracelet given to General djehuty by Thuthmosis III, the inscription reads "Perfect God MenKheperRa (Thutmose III) Given Life" copyright Hans Ollermann](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/generaldjehuty.jpg)
Four bracelets were discovered at Abydos in the tomb of King Djer of the First Dynasty. They were worn by an unnamed woman, thought to be a member of the royal family. The bracelets were held in place by linen bandages, which made it possible to recover them in their original order of stringing. The beads are composed of gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and amethyst and are of exquisite workmanship, demonstrating the skill of the ancient craftsmen in this early period of Egyptian history.
![Dynasty 13, Middle Kingdom, Metropolitan Museum](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/middle-kingdom-bracelet.jpg)
![Dynasty 12, Middle Kingdom, Metropolitan Museum](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/middle-kingdom-bracelet2-1.jpg)
![Bracelet, reign of Tuthmosis III, New Kingdom, Metropolitan Museum](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/new-kingdom-bracelet.jpg)
![bracelet of Sithathoriunet](https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/sithathoriunet-braclet.jpg)
The Egyptians also created bracelets with complex patterns from small beads of gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, amethyst and carnelian. They also constructed beautiful hinged bracelets using gold and lapis lazuli.
Copyright J Hill 2010