This imposing gold, glass and stone necklace with a winged scarab as the centrepiece is made of a double strand of 40 teardrop-shaped beads. They are gold, turquoise, red jasper, and lapis lazuli, arranged in pairs, and threaded to create a striped pattern of alternate gold and coloured stone.
The centrepiece is a winged stone scarab, which would sit on the Pharaoh’s chest. The scarab is a black and shiny dome. Its tiny head is difficult to discern, its body is etched to indicate where its head and thorax join. It has huge cartouche shaped wings, much larger than it is. At the back of the necklace is a counterweight, a small decorative pendant in the bell shape of a lotus flower, which hangs at the back of the wearer’s neck to hold the necklace in place.
The scarab’s wings and the counterweight both feature bands of coloured stone separated by gold borders, an example of Ancient Egyptian cloisonne. The striped pattern in this case is grey, red, grey, blue, grey – all separated by a visible gold wire. To achieve this appearance, small cells are made from thin strips of gold wire and arranged on a metal object. The cells are then filled with coloured material, and the gold wire remains as a border, separating the different coloured sections.
Above the scarab, a gold inlay cartouche has the king’s name on it. Below the scarab is a small reddish oval stone with a black and gold border. This is called a shen-ring, symbolising protection and eternity. Although it is hidden from view, the scarab is carved on the reverse with a portion of the Book of the Dead.