Centering a prong set, carved lapis lazuli scarab, measuring 13.87 x 10.35 x 5.42mm. Lightly scrolled fluted frame tapering to open shoulders with a Hercules knot* motif. Satin finish. Fashioned in 15K yellow gold. Circa 1905. Size 5.

In Ancient Egypt, scarabs were used as protective amulets both for the living and dead. Ra, the sun god, was believed to roll the sun across the sky each day. The dung beetle, rolling large balls of dung to provide food and protection for themselves and their offspring, became a representation of Ra. Scarab amulets were worn by the living on cords or as swivel rings. Specific types of scarabs were used in funerary rites and adorned mummies as protection in the afterlife.

According to Roman lore, the Hercules knot symbolized the legendary fertility of the God Hercules; it probably relates to the legendary Girdle of Diana captured from the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. In this, the marriage-knot was probably a representation of the virginity of the bride. -symboldictionary.net

*The Hercules knot motif originated as a healing charm in ancient Egypt, but is best known for its use in ancient Greece and Rome as a protective amulet, most notably as a wedding symbol, incorporated into the protective girdles worn by brides, which were ceremonially untied by the new groom. This custom is the likely origin of the phrase “tying the knot.”According to Roman lore, the knot symbolized the legendary fertility of the God Hercules; it probably relates to the legendary Girdle of Diana captured from the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. In this, the marriage-knot was probably a representation of the virginity of the bride. -symboldictionary.net