Glass

Glass in Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians treated glass like a precious stone, and it was often used in place of gemstones, being easier to work with. The use of cold-worked glass jewelry was an invention of the Middle Kingdom - the world's earliest known glass consists of beads, amulets, and pendants dating to 2500 B.C.E. Egyptian glass was mainly tinted in green and blue, although red, yellow, black, purple, white, and transparent glass was known. Glass was used to make jewelry, inlays, perfume bottles, Ushabti, vases, goblets, and bowls. Obsidian (called //mnw km// or //ka km// - "dark quartz"), the result of volcanic activities, was not found in Egypt, but was imported in small quantities from Turkey. Libyan desert glass, the result of meteorite impacts, was also traded. Marbled glass from Syria became a popular luxury item.

Gems and Stones