Due to the special nature of these jewels, they are only available for purchase one per person. 

IMPORTANT: This listing is for a One of a Kind jewel that cannot be replaced. We recommend Express Shipping with signature required upon delivery to make sure it arrives safely into your hands. This necklace is Ready To Ship and will leave the studio in 3 - 5 business days. 

Please note : This necklace will be created with an 18" bar link chain. If you desire a different chain length you must reach out to us immediately after placing your order. 

An oval polished Hematite cab represents the hollow of a tree, framed by  "bat lichen", composed of life cast bat bones manipulated to visually mimic lichen. 

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the painting ‘Dryad’ by Andrew Wyeth after coming across it at a recent visit to the Brandywine museum. A giant tree painted in muted shades of egg tempura fills up the composition ~ a winter tree, leafless. What dominates the eye and drew me to it from across the room like an eerie magnet was a large dark hollow. It felt alive in the way that certain paintings can be to me, & perhaps to you too. As I read the title card, I discovered how Wyeth had originally painted a figure in the hollow and then decided against it, painting over it in dark washes, that when looking closer, I could faintly see. There was something about this ghostly figure & this painting that feels tethered to every hollow feeling I’ve had lately, of every feeling of wanting to be inside this hollow, or the hollow of the oak tree near the lake where I leave roses for my grandmother & watch the bats weave through its branches at dusk, or the hollows of the trees on walks in MN that are truly only small enough for the birds.

Bats:

Bats and their cast wing and leg bones have long been a component I’ve used in my visual library as a way of creating a personal visual language. As nocturnal creatures, I feel a kinship with their natural predilection for the night time hours, but I’m also interested in how they use sonar to ‘see’, how as a metaphor bats as liminal creatures also remind us to look closer with our other senses, a way of ‘seeing the unseen.’ It’s my hope and intention that pairing them with other chthonic imagery and myth further adds to the visual meaning I’m aiming for, creating a collage of personal ideas while also tethering these physical jeweled objects to the spirit of the bat ( and other natural objects in the case of other jewels in my collection ) and to the spirit of the myths I’m invoking.

*Details* :

- 38 mm from top to bottom

- 73 mm at its wide

- Solid Sterling Silver  

- Both pendant and chain are hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath

- Set with one 16 x 24 mm Oval Hematite Cabochon

Hematite:

Appearing as a gunmetal gray color and named for the Greek word for blood, hematite is a grounding and protective stone, thought to help stem excessive bleeding. It has been associated with magic, blood, and protection for centuries as well as its practical application of being a pigment. When ground down, its shiny, near silver coloring transforms into a reddish hue akin to the color of dried blood. It is the very same pigment used in prehistoric cave paintings and has also been used as war paint. Hematite was also used as an early mirror for its reflective properties, making it an object that can be used for scrying. 

This jewel is hand cut and therefore may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. This has not been fabricated by a machine, it has been made by hand and therefore isn't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stone. 

***IMPORTANT***  

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