Sailing the Nile - OONA Collections

Sailing the Nile

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From Cairo to the South of Egypt, passing through Luxor and Aswan, a journey along one of the most mysterious ancient cultures with a great influence of feminine spirituality: Nefertiti, Isis, Nut, Cleopatra, Anuket, Hator… all of them powerful women and goddesses of this millenary culture.

This Sailing the Nile series of jewels was conceived during my journey down the Nile, inspired by the women who shone in the fascinating culture of ancient Egypt, with an important role in the society and economy and who enjoyed the same rights as men.

“You made the power of women equal to men”
Verse of an ancient hymn to the goddess Isis

Bust of Nefertiti, Egyptian Museum of Berlin
Beads necklace on display at the exhibition Hijas del Nilo in Madrid. (© María Moro)

In Ancient Egypt jewellery always had a relevant significance both to embellish and as a symbol of power and prestige, and it was also believed to provide protection, good luck or guidance in the afterlife. Equality between men and women was also reflected in jewellery, as both were always beautifully adorned with a wide variety of pieces: necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, headdresses and even anklets, made of gold and other precious metals. The mastery of the use of materials that the goldsmiths of the time had made it possible to create, more than 3,000 years ago, designs that we would consider contemporary today.

Our Sailing the Nile series is inspired by the jewels and materials used at the time, natural gems in blue and green tones that came from Asian countries, diamonds….

In this collection we introduce fine handcrafted pieces with a diversity of rough diamonds and natural colours reminiscent of the stones of the temples. Diamonds represented the sun, symbol of power, courage and truth.

OONA Diamond necklace (© OONA Collections)
In the time of the Pharaohs, a diamond was placed in the middle of the ankh (a cross with a loop on top).

Beaded jewellery was very common and meaningful in Ancient Egypt; besides the precious metals and stones, the ancient Egyptians used woods and ceramics to create beads of different shapes for their tokens, necklaces, and bracelets. They used a variety of precious and semi-precious materials to define their status and protect their bodies from negative energies.

We have created a series of handmade necklaces with beads of different types of diamonds, from the roughest as part of the temple sceneries to the most delicate carvings.

Scene showing the manufacture of beaded jewellery. (© Trustees of the British Museum)
OONA Diamond beads necklace (© OONA Collections)

The colors of the Nile River

The Blue Nile has always highly contributed to the development and life of the Egyptian society. In the ancient civilization it was the means of transport for the stone blocks used in the construction of the pyramids, its waters are responsible for a wide and fertile valley.

The jewels in this collection are a tribute to the magic of the Nile, with beautiful natural gemstones such as sapphire, tanzanite, tourmaline… evoking its colours and shades… they are also a homage to the women and goddesses of that time, whose mystery has been maintained for millennia.

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