The inspiration:
Sunlight through branches - the relief of deep shade - petrichor - feeling grounded in the present

The materials:
A radiant forest green tourmaline sits at the centre of an ornate, leafy bower made from gleaming recycled silver.

The history:
Tourmaline has been adored as a gemstone for centuries, but was often mistaken for other coloured gems like emerald and ruby because of its vast colour range. The ancient Egyptians believed that tourmalines were fragments of a rainbow that the crystals broke through as they grew up from the earth. Historically (when not mistaken for another gemstone!) tourmaline was worn to strengthen insight and awareness, and was thought to have a strong calming and balancing effect against the stresses of everyday life. It is now celebrated as a birthstone for October.

The process:
I have recycled almost all of the silver used to make this pendant; melting sterling scrap down to form silver ingots, flattening and drawing the silver down to plate (and sometimes wire) using hammers and my rolling mill, and then using this newly reclaimed silver to create my work. This ethereal design frames the deep green tourmaline with delicate tendrils and tiny beads, that unfurl to a pair of leaves below. The beautiful tourmaline is a rich, luminous green that boasts a strong chatoyancy (cat’s-eye effect), making it glow and flash with movement. It is neatly set in clean-edge bezel with a solid, polished backplate behind it to enhance its beautiful color, and the silver throughout has been highly polished. A tiny sterling ring connects the pendant to its delicate chain, which is finished with a light-weight sterling silver spring-ring clasp and faceted black spinel and green tourmaline beaded links at 18” (46 cm), 20” (51 cm) and 22” (56 cm) for a customizable fit.

The details:
Pendant height: 27 mm
Pendant width: 7 mm at the widest point
Stone cut & size: tourmaline cabochon, 9 × 11 mm
Chain length: 22” (56 cm) total, with adjustability at 20” (51 cm) and 18” (46 cm)
Recycled components: silver pendant construction
Stone source: Gem Dreams, Ontario, Canada


My promise:
All of my jewelry is made by me, by hand, in my little home studio and will be shipped to you as shown, beautifully packaged and ready for gift-giving to someone special (like yourself!) I am a life-long artist and designer, and I take great care and pride in creating one of a kind jewels that evolve from my own design, emotion and inspiration, rather than trend, imitation or artifice. It means the world to me that you've witnessed my work - thank you for being here, and for shopping and supporting handmade!