Cast immortal in sterling silver, bat wing and leg bones molded from the real thing, are composed into a beautiful setting cradling a labradorite coffin cut jewel. 

The title of the ring comes from my favorite two lines of a poem by John Keats, 'Ode to a Nightingale':

"Darkling I listen; and, for many a time

I have been half in love with easeful Death,.."

For me personally, this 'death' is represented by our 'Shadow Selves' or the aspects of our personality that are considered dark or unwanted by either ourselves or society. As children we learn how to suppress the parts of ourselves that are unacceptable through our parents or others. However, these parts are never eradicated, instead they are slipped into the coffins of our psyches like secrets. Often aspects of our shadow selves will sneak out of this protective encasing and will rear their intense heads when we least expect it, or, these aspects are parts of ourselves that we choose to face and integrate into our adult personalities. Working and accepting our shadow selves is what Carl Jung describes in his writings on inner alchemy as the 'Nigredo' phase, the phase in which we confront the most dark aspects of ourselves in a quest for wholeness.

In 'traditional' alchemy, the 'Nigredo' phase is the phase in which all ingredients used to obtain the 'philosopher's stone' are burned, purified, blackened; in a sense, killed, in order for new life to spring forth. 

This ring is also a nod to 'Dracula', a movie that when it came out influenced my ideas on romance. I know the actual novel is different than the movie, but the bat bones here represent the creatures of the night, creatures that are often shunned by society much like the Vampire, and much like our shadow selves. 

This ring is also a nod to Victorian Mourning jewelry. After the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria fell into a deep grief that was shared by the nation. This led to mourning rituals being instilled in society, which had many intricate rules such as wearing black and then purple for set periods of time, wearing the hair of your beloved in lockets and rings, taking portraits of the deceased etc. 

This ring is in a sense, a talisman to remember your shadow, remember that all parts of yourself however dark and shadowy are worthy of acceptance, even if they are filling the coffin that's tucked away in the pit of your psyche.

This listing is for one Large coffin ring with a labradorite coffin shaped jewel. 

The ring is roughly 24mm tall and 17mm wide at it's widest. It stands 10mm off of the finger and has a double bone band and a traditional 'under carriage' supporting the stone.

The coffin jewels are hand cut and therefore may have very slight differences in size and may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. These are not fabricated by a machine, they are made by hand and therefore aren't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stones and the cuts. 

Growing up I had a lot of Labradorite jewelry, given to me for their healing properties, in particular for their ability to relieve anxiety & melancholy. It is also said to be used to dispel negativity & fear, acting as a kind of psychic armor to more troubling & turbulent emotions. As a 'sister' to moonstone, Labradorite is often associated with the more "darker" aspects of the Goddess, in her Crone form, full of the experience & wisdom of life and death, associated with the darker moon: waning through new moon phases.

It is also a stone of transformation, and is said to help those with intuitive gifts to awaken and realize their full potential as well as helping enhance creative talents. It also ranks as one of the most protective stones, shielding its wearer from negativity. Much like its 'sister' moonstone, Labradorite has been used and worn in many cultures and tribes for both its incredible natural beauty, and for its potent magical properties.

****Please note that Labradorite is a natural stone so clarity and color will vary from stone to stone. Labradorite has natural lines and inclusions and varies in shades of green (teal, swamp green, olive green) to shades of (dark) blue.

***IMPORTANT***

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 4 weeks for creation before shipping.                   

Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE.

If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com