A double sided reversible pendant featuring a beautiful Blue John stone on one side and a lovely Malachite stone on the other side. Made in our Sheffield workshop, each stone has been cut for this lovely shell shape design and set in hallmarked 925 sterling silver.
The stones are 21mm by 23mm and the pendant is 40mm.
Now a little bit about the stones…
Blue John (also known as Derbyshire Spar) is a semi-precious mineral, a form of fluorite with bands of a purple-blue or yellowish colour. In the UK it is found only at Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern at Castleton in Derbyshire. During the 19th century, it was mined for its ornamental value, and mining continues on a small scale.
Malachite is a popular mineral with its intense green colour and beautiful banded masses. The banded specimens are formed by massive, botryoidal, reniform, and especially stalactitic Malachite that are dense inter-growths of tiny, fibrous needles. Dense banded specimens are often sliced and polished to bring out their beautiful colouring. The bands may consist of concentric rings with interesting patterns; such specimens are highly sought after.
These concentric banded specimens are most commonly from African sources. Polished, banded Malachite has been carved into ornaments and worn as jewellery for thousands of years, and in some ancient civilisations it was thought to be a protection from evil when worn as jewellery.