The inspiration:
An emblem of the earliest spring. Set with the most perfect cranberry rose coloured stone, this winter-berry inspired amulet conjures the spirit of the warming days at winter's end. This extraordinary, rare eudialyte specimen was mined several years ago from the Sheffield Lake prospect (Kipawa alkaline complex, Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue, Témiscamingue RCM, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada) - a true Canadian beauty through and through!

The materials:
A brilliant, sparkly, candy-coloured eudialyte is framed by elegant surface details that evoke the simple lines of winter and the emerging buds of spring, gleaming against the darkened, coin shaped background. This rare stone is richly coloured, translucent violet-red, shot through with sparkling aventurescence (schiller), icy white inclusions and delicate black veining. This luminous recycled silver construction is paired with a delicate 20" sterling silver chain with adjustability at 16” and 18”.

The history:
First discovered in Greenland in 1819, this is a strangely beautiful stone with an equally strange name. Eudialyte comes from Greek ‘Eu dialytos’, or ‘easily decomposable’; an unusual detail to note in a name, except that Eudialyte forms in alkaline igneous rock which can be dissolved in acid. More whimsically it has also been called almandine spar, eudalite, or Sámi Blood. The Sámi are an indigenous people inhabiting northern parts of the regions now known as Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Russian Kola Peninsula, near the Arctic circle. The stone’s rich carmine, snow and stone colouring inspired a Norse legend that eudialyte formed when the blood of Sami soldiers was spilled on the tundra during a fierce battle against Swedish warriors. These 'blood drops' turned to stone, and in that stone, a protective talisman for warriors, risk takers and leaders, enhancing inner strength and courage.

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 detailed setting highlights the brilliant, violet-red stone against a darkened background set with gleaming wire surface decoration evoking stems, sprouts and seeds. The stone is neatly set in clean-edge bezel with a solid, polished backplate behind it to enhance the stone’s beautiful colour. An arc of silver and 2 sterling jump rings connect the pendant to its delicate chain, which is finished with a sterling silver lobster-claw clasp and faceted ruby beaded clasps at 16” (41 cm), 18” (46 cm) and 20” (51 cm). This pendant is the first to feature my brand-new maker's mark on its reverse!

The details:

• Pendant height: 24 mm

• Pendant width: 21 mm

• Stone cut & size: eudialyte cabochon, 15 mm diameter

• Chain length: 20” (51 cm) total, with adjustability at 18” (46 cm) and 16” (41 cm)

• Recycled components: silver pendant construction

• Stone source: eudialyte - Sheffield Lake/Kipawa Complex, Québec

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!