Collection: Scarab Jewelry

Why a beetle

Egyptians watched dung beetles roll a ball across the ground and buried it, and then watched new beetles emerge from the same spot. From that they built Khepri — the scarab-headed god who rolls the sun across the sky each morning — and one of the most enduring amulets in human history.

The symbol is renewal, and it's specifically about renewal that happens underground where nobody sees it. Scarabs were carved from stone and faience by the thousand, worn by the living and placed over the hearts of the dead to help them through the crossing.

What it means to wear one

Protection and transformation together. It's a quieter symbol than the phoenix and an older one — less about dramatic rebirth, more about the reliable fact that things start again. People drawn to it tend to like that it's a working object with four thousand years of use behind it, not a modern idea in an ancient costume.

Choosing a piece

Traditional scarabs are carved in the round with the wing cases marked on top and a flat underside — which historically carried an inscription. Modern pieces keep the domed silhouette. Lapis, turquoise and carnelian are the traditional stones and still the most common.

The shape is compact and reads clearly at small sizes, which makes it one of the easier symbolic pieces to wear daily. If protection is the reason you're here, our protection collection is broader.

What you're buying

Sterling silver or gold plate over base metal, stated on each listing. Stone scarabs are named individually, including whether turquoise is stabilised and whether lapis is genuine — dyed howlite sold as either is widespread in this category.

Turquoise is porous and absorbs oils and perfume, which changes its colour permanently. Put it on last. Our crystal care guide covers porous stones.

Mystic Soul Jewelry — Canadian small business, Calgary, Alberta, since 2008.