Across millennia, beetles have skittered through the human imagination as symbols, omens, deities, and decorative motifs. In Egypt, they embodied rebirth and protection; in Classical Greek fables they were cast as wily survivors; across the Pre-Columbian Americas, they adorned ritual clothing as emblems of vitality; while in Japan, they embodied strength and perseverance for centuries, and are still celebrated in poems, toys, and pop culture. In Victorian Europe, beetle collecting became a fashionable scientific hobby, influencing both taxonomy and the decorative arts, especially in Art Nouveau jewellery and high-craft objects. This deep well of symbolism helps explain why scarab imagery continues to captivate contemporary designers; for Greek jewellery designer Lito Karakostanoglou there is also another, more elemental reason: their iridescent allure.

Underscoring their uniqueness, each jewel is accompanied by a classification card listing the scarab’s Latin name and geographic origin, housed in a porcelain “habitat” designed by Athens-based sculptor Diane Alexandre. These sculptural stands transform the jewels into contemplative objects when unworn, further underscoring their journey beginning with artistic intent and alchemical transformation converting them from a mere specimen to a bejewelled talisman.