AMETHYST & STERLING SILVER PENDANT

A beautiful Amethyst and Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace hand crafted on Saltspring Island by Alvaro Sanchez.

Pendant Size: 1.25 inches by 0.75 inches.

Chain length 18 inches.

Amethyst is said to be the stone of contentment and to bestow stability, serenity and peace. Amethyst belongs to the quartz family and its variation in colour is largely due to the traces of iron it contains. Amethyst was highly prized in antiquity for its calming effect and the name derived from the Greek amethustos or "non-inebriated". It is often used as a meditation stone to help quieten the mind and as an aid to finding inner peace.

Amethyst is also the birthstone for February.

Silver is a highly malleable metal with a brilliant white metallic lustre that can take a high degree of polishing. This has led to its huge popularity in jewellery where it is combined with copper to make it more durable. This alloy has been known as sterling silver since the 13th century. The minimum fineness of silver allowable in sterling silver is 92.5% which gives rise to the term 925. However most jewellery today uses the ration 97.5% silver to 2.5 % copper.

Since ancient times, silver has been closely associated with the moon and lunar influences.

Diana the Roman goddess of the moon hunted with a silver bow.