Cleopatra was known for her love of unique pieces of jewelry, and this is something that still inspires designers to this day. From shiny golds and coppers to sparkling turquoise and carnelians, these designers have all created exquisite pieces of jewelry that the Egyptian queen herself would no doubt have been proud to wear.
Azuni London
Azuni is a brand that was founded by designer Ashley Marshall, who has a passion for ancient arts and native cultures. Needless to say, Marshall was hugely inspired by the boldness and confidence of Cleopatra, and created a collection dedicated to her. His Cleopatra Coin Necklaces are plated with 24K gold, and each design features a different collection of semi-precious stone beads, such as apatite, smoked quartz, and tourmaline. The brand’s Hidden Gem Pendant necklaces are equally captivating, and have been hand textured and finished with 18K gold, resulting in a piece that is truly reminiscent of Cleopatra’s time.
Eddie Borgo
Eddie Borgo is an American accessories designer that has been inspired by Cleopatra for a while, closely studying the stones and closures in the Egyptian jewelry displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for many months. In 2013, Borgo released a collection of jewelry inspired by the Queen of Egypt, and while this may have been three years ago, each of the pieces are truly timeless, just like Cleopatra’s style itself. The collection incorporates jade, howlite, which is a stone similar to marble, and onyx, and makes use of powerful icons and graphic shapes from that time, resulting in bold and stunning jewelry.
Museum Collections
For those who want to wear jewelry that is as authentic to Cleopatra’s time as possible, you will not be able to do much better than purchasing a piece from one of the museums around the world that specialize in Ancient Egypt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York creates beautiful replicas of some of the jewelry in their collections, one piece of which comes from Cleopatra’s Ptolemaic period, and consists of a snake bracelet with a 24K gold overlay. The British Museum in London also has some gorgeous pieces, and each of these museums will usually offer them for sale through their online shop, along with quick worldwide delivery, meaning that you do not have to make a special trip to the museum to purchase a piece. Some of the stand out pieces from the British Museum’s shop include a gold triple coiled snake ring, whose original dates back to 2nd century AD, an exclusive Egyptian bracelet by designer Nicky Butler, featuring hand set turquoise, lapis and green chalcedony, and a winged scarab necklace that has been replicated after many similar versions were found throughout the tombs of Ancient Egypt.
Cleopatra’s style was extremely distinctive, and had a timeless quality that makes it relevant even today. From the graphic creations of Eddie Borgo to the authentic replicas from world-class museums, these pieces make it easy to incorporate a little bit of Cleopatra’s strong attitude into your own look.
