Pink Turquoise and Apatite Shrine Ring sz 8

+About this piece:
Part of my Shrine series, this ring is set with a gorgeous little bubble of Qingu pink turquoise. Pink is a very rare color to see in turquoise but this pink tinged stone comes from  the Qingu mine, in China. The pink is a perfect compliment to the soft, bright robin's egg blue of this stone. It's flanked by two faceted apatite gemstones.
 
All is set onto a double layer of hand-sawn silver.  The textured back is embellished with a sterling embellishment and my hallmark. The ring band is hand forged from a vintage die. The face of the ring is approximately 30mm by 23mm. Best fits a size 8. 
 
+About Our Lady of Hal: The vintage medal set in this ring is a Notre Dame de Hal; Our Lady of Hal. Hal is a town in Belgium. Also known as the Black Madonna or Virgo Lactens (nursing Madonna.) There's a very interesting story behind this Madonna! Our Lady of Hal is a wooden sculpture that was given to the Church of St. Martin, in Hal Belgium in 1267. She is one of the first nursing virgins to appear in Western Europe at the end of the Middle Ages. After the reformation, Protestants and Catholics fought for control of Belgium. Our Lady of Hal, as the most important shrine, became the rallying point for Belgian Catholics. Of course, this caused the Protestants to want to destroy the shrine, and the Lady. In 1560, the protestant army laid seige and bombarded her with many cannonballs. Legend says that Mary appeared on the city walls and intercepted the deadly cannonballs into her lap. The gunpowder is said to be what turned her face black. The grateful population then brought hundreds of the cannonballs, from around the city, and placed them at the base of her bell tower. 32 of those are still kept inside the church. Other miracles are also attributed to her and she is still honored with a procession, to this day. I really love that she stands on a stack of cannonballs. I love the shape of her. And I love the story of her blackened face.  
 
+All sterling. Genuine gemstones. Vintage medal. Hallmarked. One-of-a-kind. Hand built in the heart of the West.
 
+About this collection:
The pieces in this collection were inspired by lives, acts and miracles of the saints; those who lived virtuous lives, offered their lives for others or were martyred for their faith. Those whose lives are worthy of imitation and admiration. Their bravery and conviction can be a light and inspiration to us all. 
 
+ 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!
+ As with all handmade jewelry, please be mindful to take care of it. It should not be worn in the pool, shower, while cleaning, during strenuous activities such as sports, or in the water.
+ Sun, heat, lotions, sunscreen and chemicals can affect stones negatively. Clean silver (not stones) with a gentle polishing cloth, especially for jewelry (Sunshine polishing cloth is recommended).