Making the Heart Charmed - A Khepri Necklace

I'm so excited - I finished my Khepri guardian heart necklace!

I finished this piece last night and I'm quite happy with it. I know very little about beading and making jewelry, but I've known for a while now that I've wanted to make an Egyptian themed necklace to enjoy. The major drawback was finding an acceptable scarab amulet (a Khepri). Finally, a little more than week ago, I found a seller on Etsy who handcasts beautiful pewter pendants. It was the piece I had been looking for!

The amazing centerpiece - the Khepri amulet - has a beautiful story to it that hearkens back to the time when Pharaohs were mummified. A priest wearing the mask of Anpu (Anubis) would place a Khepri amulet over the deceased's heart. In this way, the Khepri ensured that the heart could not speak against the body, making it more likely that the deceased would be judged to have lead a good life and thus enter the afterlife joyously.

For the living, the Khepri (sacred scarab) was a symbol of Re, who rose from the netherworld with the morning sun. He was linked with resurrection in this manner and the ability to to bring one's self into being through divine will and essence.

Here are a few pics of my necklace. I attempted to make counterweights as well (parts of the necklace that hung down the back to offset the weight of the front), particularly as the amulet weighs close to 6 ounces! I'll link to Nomadic Phoenix's Etsy store so that you can see more of his lovely items.

Bright blessings! )O(