i've always had a fascination with crows. coming from a small town near the sea, i often dealt with the presence of these birds; their darks wings, their ominous cawing, their seemingly otherworldliness.
in many cultures, the crow, along with birds of prey, have been linked to the underworld, acting as liminal, supernatural creatures, living in both the relms of the dead & the living, ferrying messages to and fro the earthly and spiritual planes.
here, the crow is seen as an abstraction, all that remains is its unearthly claw, forged immortal in sterling silver a clasping a quartz crystal. in a sense, the crystal takes on the physical manifestation of the "message," that was passed between realms.
as a "message," clear quartz is a particualrly potent crystal, able to help recall lost memories, amplify spirtual pursuits and increases psychic awareness.
lastly, within alchemy, the image of the crow is symbolized as the first stage of the trasformative process or nigredo. this stage involved the blackening or cooking of the alchemical ingredients to begin the pathway to the final stage, or the philosopher's stone.
within carl jung's interpretation of alchemy as an inner alchemy, this first stage causes the individual to confront their shadow self, the start of a deep descent into a union of the conscious with the unconscious. here the ring symbolizes this first stage & is meant to be a comfort and protection for those in tumultuous times or in need of a soothing "message."
the necklace is cast in luminous sterling silver & hand oxidized to achieve my signature rich, gloomy darkness that reveals the intricate details of the claw, capturing the wrinkles, folds and textures of the real thing.
this special necklace is made to order just for you! please allow 3-4 weeks for shipment.
paired with a sterling bar link chain hand oxidized to match the claw perfectly in my obsessive shade of gloomy gray . . the shape mimics both the shapes of bones and the patterning of rosaries, 18 inches from end to end.
while the necklace pictured has sold, I have an incredible collection of quartz points hand selected from reputable places for clarity, shape and feeling. each will come with a terminated point to keep with the design of the necklace and will vary is shape and size. please allow for slight distressing as crystals are organic in nature and not perfect. if you would like to select your own crystal there is a small fee to do so, please send me a convo via etsy and we can arrange this.
this necklace is available in ring form as here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77452860/the-messenger-crow-claw-quartz-crystal
& as a necklace in rose gold with amethyst here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77621579/the-messenger-rose-gold-crow-claw
xo
jls.
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