Handmade Tyrone Turquoise Rainbow Serpent Earrings
Tyrone turquoise is mined outside Silver City, New Mexico, in the American Southwest. It's a hard turquoise ranging from soft to bright blue. This mine is one of the oldest in the country and was originally a copper mine but turquoise was discovered and produced as a by-product. In the 80's the production method for mining copper was changed to one that destroys the turquoise. Tyrone is therefore highly collectible. These earrings are set with semi-rough face Tyrone in sterling silver bezels. The soft, sky-blue color really pops against any hair color and the way the stones were cut, leaving some of the rough exposed, is interesting and beautiful. The small stones held in the serpent's tail are also Tyrone. The snakes, like the rest of the earrings, are completely hand fabricated: shaped, stamped soldered, patinaed and soldered. Swingy and long, yet lightweight, these are the perfect everyday earrings. I've used double jump rings for stability and safety. Textured back because the back should be beautiful too!Just under 3 inches from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the longest snake. Ear wires are sterling.
Small batch. All sterling. Beautiful stones. One-of-a-kind. Hand built in the heart of the West.
+ Details:
+ All pieces are slowly and carefully handmade, in my studio in Sheridan, Wyoming. Because of this, each piece is unique and may contain the slight imperfections that you would expect with a handcrafted item. Perfectly imperfect!
+Each piece is marked with my maker's mark. Earrings are sometimes difficult to mark because of the size and may or may not be marked (please see photos.)
+ As with all handmade jewelry, please be mindful to take care of it. It should not be worn in the shower, while cleaning, during strenuous activities such as sports, or in the water.
+ Sun, heat, lotions and chemicals can affect stones negatively. Clean silver (not stones) with a gentle polishing cloth, especially for jewelry (Sunshine polishing cloth is recommended and included with your purchase).
+About this collection:
Remember...?
Back in the day, those cross country family vacations, stuck in the back of a hot car. Until...on the side of the road appears an old-time trading post. Even in those days, I was fascinated with jewelry; especially native American jewelry. The pieces in this collection are faintly reminiscent of that trading post feel.
About Rainbow Serpent: The snake is a symbol with great meaning in many cultures. For native Americans it's a symbol of life, rebirth and spiritual power. For the Aboriginal people of Australia, the rainbow snake is an immortal being. The connection between the snake and rainbow suggests the cycle of seasons and a connection to water. When a rainbow is in the sky, it's said to be the rainbow serpent, traveling from one watering hole to another. Of course, in Christianity, satan appears in the guise of a snake to trick mankind and is a symbol of evil...with the rainbow representing God's promise, and hope, to mankind.