Nubia has a rich history of distinctive jewellery, with each style given its own name and imbued with individual meaning. Although today it may be difficult to find pieces made in the traditional ways, it is not impossible.

Egypt has a long history of jewellery production, but there hasn’t always been regulation to control the quality of the items made. Over the past thousand years, laws have been created and refined, leading to the system in place today.

Created using delicate production techniques, the intricate beauty of Fatimid jewellery has long influenced jewellery production in Egypt, right through to the present day.

With similarly unusual shapes and multifaceted meanings, the protective amulets worn by the ancient Egyptians are not so different from those seen across Egypt today.

Jewellery is often prized for its beauty, but to many, it also provides protection from the world's malevolent forces, its very shape imbued with power.

For millennia, Egypt's traditional symbols have survived and adapted, serving to unite the country's population. But despite their importance, these symbols and their meanings are vanishing in the modern age.

One of the first anthropologists to research Egypt's culture and its traditional jewellery, Winifred Blackman's personal notes and diaries are now providing new insights into her life and work.

Over the past two centuries, Egyptian art has inspired jewellers to create works of great beauty, combining ancient fashion with a modern twist.

Through their hairstyles and wigs, still visible in art and preserved on mummies, much can be gleaned about the ancient Egyptians' fashion, health, diet and lifestyle across time.

The ancient Egyptians adorned themselves with eye-makeup from at least 4400 BC, and used stone palettes, carved in elaborate shapes, to grind the pigments. These cosmetic palettes were so cherished that they were hung in the home and even taken to the grave.

Ancient Egyptian jewellery is famous for its beauty, elegance and colour; but what was the symbolic meaning of different colours and designs, and how did fashions change over time?