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, who 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 these earrings are a product of that craze. The scarabs are carved from steatite (aka soapstone) and mounted in gold.