Sterling Chalice Necklace with Russian Seraphinite Beads

This 16-18" necklace features a large sterling silver recast of an antique French first communion souvenir medal AND some truly exquisite green Russian seraphinite beads. Seraphinite is mined in a limited area of Siberia, and is one of the most expensive semiprecious stones I've worked with so far. The pictures in no way do them justice. The smaller accent beads, chain, and all other findings are made of stainless steel for added durability and tarnish resistance. The set includes a matching pair of earrings.

Feldspar/Pyrite Holy Eucharist

For your brown wardrobe, we have a lovely bronze image of the Holy Eucharist hanging from the Seven Sorrows of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The findings and wire are Vintaj brass, the beads gray feldspar and pyrite (also known as fool's gold).  The medals are recasts of original antique pieces.  The necklace is 16.5" long with the pendant adding an additional 2".

On the backs of the medals are an image of the Sacred Heart and a French inscription which appeared on the original medal.

UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WEAR:

"The name "feldspar" derives from the German words Feld, "field", and Spath, "a rock that does not contain ore".  . . . Feldspar is a common raw material used in glassmaking, ceramics, and to some extent as a filler and extender in paint, plastics, and rubber. In glassmaking, alumina from feldspar improves product hardness, durability, and resistance to chemical corrosion.  . . . In earth sciences and archaeology, feldspars are used for K-Ar dating, argon-argon dating, thermoluminescence dating and optical dating.   In October 2012, the Mars Curiosity rover analyzed a rock that turned out to have a high feldspar content.  (Wikipedia)"

"The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its superficial resemblance to gold. The color has also led to the nicknames brass, brazzle and Brazil, primarily used to refer to pyrite found in coal. . . . Pyrite is the most common of the sulfide minerals. The name pyrite is derived from the Greek πυρίτης (puritēs), "of fire" or "in fire", in turn from πύρ (pur), "fire".  In ancient Roman times, this name was applied to several types of stone that would create sparks when struck against steel; Pliny the Elder described one of them as being brassy, almost certainly a reference to what we now call pyrite.  By Georgius Agricola's time, the term had become a generic term for all of the sulfide minerals. . . . Pyrite enjoyed brief popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries as a source of ignition in early firearms, most notably the wheellock, where the cock held a lump of pyrite against a circular file to strike the sparks needed to fire the gun. . . . Pyrite has been used since classical times to manufacture copperas, that is, iron(II) sulfate.  . . . Pyrite remains in commercial use for the production of sulfur dioxide, for use in such applications as the paper industry, and in the manufacture of sulfuric acid.  . . . Pyrite is used to make marcasite jewelry (incorrectly termed marcasite).  Marcasite jewelry, made from small faceted pieces of pyrite, often set in silver, was popular in the Victorian era."  (Wikipedia)