Mezcala

Description

This ancient Mezcala bead comes from Mexico; these beads were found with artifacts from the mysterious Olmec culture and are estimated to be around 1800 to 2000 years old. I acquired a group of these beads from an old collection that was being sold up in Taos. Most of the beads are conical or oblong in shape and are an opaque sage green; this bead has a very nice translucent green color and an irregular shape, and I was told it's probably meta-diorite. An information sheet that was given to me when I purchased the beads will come with the ring.

I haven't riveted many irregular objects onto rings because it's tricky getting the rivet strong and tight, but this is one of them, and it's definitely a favorite. I wanted to go with a primal effect, so I just rested the Mezcala bead in a simple, curved bezel of sterling silver which was hammered on my desert rock anvil. A brass washer tops the stone bead and then the rivet holds it in place.

The band is very securely riveted together and riveted to the bezel both above and below the stone's rivet. In other words, this one won't come apart without some major abuse. It's easy to wear because of its low, curved bezel, but tough enough for everyday.

Size: 8. The bezel is 1 7/8" x 1 3/8".

Care: I've worn these beads for months, washed the dishes with them, etc., and they just end up looking cleaner and more polished. So you don't have to tiptoe around this one. Soap and water is fine, and you can use a silver polishing cloth to bring out the highlights in the sterling.

The Mezcala Ring will arrive gift-wrapped in a hand-decorated gift box, with a handwritten descriptive label and the information sheet on the Mezcala bead.

Added on Sep 28, 2009