Annoushka ducas biography definition

Jewellery has been a signifier of protection, comfort and good luck for thousands of years. Amulets in the form of necklaces were abundant in ancient Egypt - those depicting animals and mythical creatures, such as Anubis, the jackal-god believed to be a guardian of the underworld, were particularly popular, as were scarabs, carved as pendants from basalt and placed over the hearts of the deceased to purify the soul ready for rebirth.

In ancient Rome, Fascinus, the god of masculine regenerative power, was thought to ward off dark forces and was represented by phallus motifs on gold rings and pendants, worn by adults and children alike.

Indeed, researching the apotropaic significance of jewellery through time is wonderfully colourful, though occasionally it veers towards the absurd.

In 16th century England, for example, there was a bizarre trend for carrying a piece of caul (the thin membrane that sometimes covers the face of newborn babies) in a gold locket, since it was thought to