Scarabs were worn as jewelry and amulets in ancient Egypt. Being a common form like a charm, everyone could afford them and easily wear strung on a cord and worn like a necklace. They were already known in the Old Kingdom, and in the First Intermediate Period, the undersides were decorated with hieroglyphs. Many heart scarabs bear a spell on the flat side. Scarabs are the most numerous amulets and were produced well beyond the dynastic periods. They were used and worn by both the rich and the poor. They were made in a wide variety of materials, such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, basalt, limestone, malachite, schist, serpentine, turquoise, colored glass, ivory, resin, steatite, bronze and alabaster. Pottery scarabs were also produced in terra-cotta molds, carved when dry and different colored glazes applied. The so-called "heart scarabs" were large, with an average length of 7 inches.

Ancient Egyptian scarabs are popular with collectors because of their bright colors and intricate patterns. Many are characterized by large scale motifs accompanied by hieroglyphs. Most scarabs were made for the living. By the Middle Kingdom, they were being worn on the finger mounted as a ring, or threaded with a cord for the finger. Although they are known from the earliest periods, it is in the 12th dynasty that their use as seals became common. They were also used as seals by officials. Interestingly, some scarabs with royal names were worn after the king was deceased, in the saintly sense, similar to the holy medals of Christian saints.