The pendant is hand-carved from a single piece of red river jasper, and hangs from a handmade wrapped copper bail (I purchased the pendant; the bail is my own work). The clasp is solid copper. The large beads are red “snakeskin” jasper and spacer beads are fossilized coral. The beads are stung on dark brown natural silk and hand-knotted. The pendant is roughly 2 inches by 1.5 inches and the large snakeskin beads are about 10mm. The necklace’s total length is just shy of 22 inches, including the clasp.
Disclosure: Please note that the display mannequin in the photo is about half-human scale; the necklace has been draped around the back of the mannequin to simulate how the necklace would hang. Please refer to the other photos for a picture of the entire necklace and an indication of scale. Copper is not hypoallergenic and those prone to skin irritation should consider one of my pieces using sterling silver or vermeil findings. Like all silk knotted necklaces, care should be taken not to get this necklace wet, and it should be stored flat: silk will stretch over time. Like all of my jewelry, this necklace is not intended for use by persons under 13.
About the stones:
Jasper is a form of quartz (silicon dioxide) and is a member of the chalcedony family. Jasper is an opaque and fine grained stone and comes in a rainbow of patterns and colors. It is a hard, with a Mohs hardness of 7.
Coral is not a stone, but is rather the skeletal remains of small marine animals related to jellyfish, who build homes for themselves from calcium carbonate. Coral fossilizes well, as the calcium carbonate is replaced by agate and fossil coral beads show intricate, delicate patterns.
In folklore, coral protects children from harm, sailors from bad weather and wards off misfortune.
Have any questions?
Contact the shop owner.
