Brighton Necklace (#071)

...Love, Hope, Joy & Delight...

Purple Sea Urchin Shells with faceted Turquoise sparkle in the sun. Polished cubes of Rose Quartz add an element of the Heart Chakra & Sacred Geometry. Taurus & Sagittarius, this piece might resonate...

**Note: Our in-house designs are one-of-a-kind & numbered. There will never be another piece made that is identical. We feature genuine antique & vintage natural crystals, coral, & pearls with only Solid 14K Gold & Sterling Silver clasps. We have fun sourcing rare & unique hand-carved beads from all over the world! You’re welcome:)

• Natural Shells.
• Rose Quartz.
• Turquoise.
• Sterling Silver clasp.
• One-of-a-kind.
• Designed & handmade in California.
• Inspired by Brighton Beach, Barbados, where you can smell the sweet scent of rum in the air at the beach...

Natural Puka Shells People created the earliest-known jewelry from natural shells. There is evidence that people in modern-day Algeria, Israel, & Morocco drilled holes into marine shells to make beads 100,000 years ago. It is in these same areas of North Africa & the Middle East that shells came to symbolize life. In ancient mythology, the Goddess of Love & Fertility, Venus, is often depicted as rising from the sea in a clamshell. Perhaps you've seen Botticelli's painting from 1485?

Rose Quartz From the Greek myth about the famous lovers Aphrodite & Adonis, Rose Quartz became known as the stone of love & reconciliation. Aphrodite was cut by a thorn bush while saving Adonis from an attack by her jealous ex-lover Ares, who disguised himself as a wild boar. The blood of Aphrodite & Adonis combined & stained white quartz, making it a rose-pink color that caught the attention of Zeus. Zeus showed compassion, & thus brought Adonis back to Aphrodite for 6 months every year. Believed to emit strong vibrations of love, Rose Quartz is known as a healing crystal & the stone of unconditional love. Ancient Egyptians associated Rose Quartz with Isis, the goddess of love, fertility, healing, & the moon. As a result, Rose Quartz represented a source of eternal youth, & it is thought to open the 4th Chakra, or Heart Chakra. Rose Quartz is most closely associated with the zodiac sign of Taurus, which is an Earth sign ruled by Venus.

Turquoise Ancient Egyptian tombs have provided the earliest evidence of Turquoise gemstones used in jewelry, dating back to 3000 BCE. King Tutankhamun’s iconic burial mask is an example of the Egyptians' extravagant love for the gem. The oldest Turquoise mines are located on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. One in particular is situated near an ancient temple dedicated to Hathor, the Greek goddess of love & joy who was worshiped as a protector in the desert & as the patron saint of mining. Perhaps this is why the Egyptians named Turquoise "mefkat," which means “joy” & “delight.” Ancient Aztecs valued Turquoise for its perceived power of protection & used it to decorate ceremonial masks, knives, & shields. Also believing that Turquoise was a source of protection, Persians adorned their necks, turbans, daggers, & horses’ bridles with it. The Persians named Turqouise "pirouzeh," which means “victory.” Later on, when Turkish traders introduced this “Persian blue” stone to Europe via the Silk Road in the 13th century, this influenced the gemstone’s western name. The word “turquoise” comes from the French phrase "pierre tourques," which means “Turkish stone.” Meanwhile, pre-Columbian Native Americans mined the Turquoise stone throughout areas that are now the southwestern United States. Native American Shamans used it in sacred ceremonies to communicate with the spirit of the sky. Apache Native Americans thought that attaching turquoise to bows improved accuracy. Turquoise is linked to the 5th Chakra, or Throat Chakra, & is said to help improve communication & public speaking. Turquoise is the birthstone of December & is associated with the zodiac sign of Sagittarius.