Archaeological discoveries in Egypt in the late 1800s were front-page news throughout Europe and the United States. The tombs, pyramids, and Sphinx fascinated the Western world, and the acquisition of Egyptian antiquities and jewelry became all the rage among those who could afford it. Jewelers took note of this trend (most significantly Tiffany & Co, which was awarded a gold medal at the 1878 Paris Exposition for their reproductions of Egyptian treasures). Reproduction jewelry was made to satisfy the appetites of Egyptophiles, and this particular c. 1880 faience scarab spinner ring was a product of this craze.