This pendant is suspended from a 30" bar link chain. If you prefer a different length (between 16 and 34 inches) please reach out to us immediately after making your purchase. 

~Based on the image of the 'Ball and Claw' used throughout Victorian era furniture design, here, a life cast Crow claw is seen as an abstraction, all that remains of the magnificent and uncanny bird is its claw, forged forever in sterling silver and clutching a hematite sphere. The design's roots historically come from ancient China: in myth, the Emperor's Dragon guarded a pearl or a crystal ball that was considered to be a symbol of wisdom and purity. 

~I've always had a fascination with crows. Born near the sea, I often enjoyed the presence of these birds; their dark, inky coloring, their ominous cawing heralding messages from the unseen, their seemingly otherworldliness; all of it was threaded through my childhood and early life. They are personal symbols of protection and comfort for me, and the highly tactile nature of both the textured claw and the smooth sphere help to ground me when I hold it in my palm or run my fingers over it. 

~The Crow, akin to the Vulture, are opportunistic in their eating habits because they'll even eat from the dead. Partly because of this, they have been linked to the Underworld as as liminal, supernatural creatures, co-existing between the realm of the natural, living world, and the realm of the unseen, of the dead, ferrying messages to and fro these earthly and spiritual planes.

~Considered tricksters in some cultures, they have also been proven to have a strong sense of memory, their remembrances extending as far as individual human faces that have wronged them, or who have fed them, as they are known to leave gifts to those who caretake them. This gift giving proves that we can be in relation to other, 'wild' creatures without bringing them inside our homes.

~Associated with prophecy and known to have to ability to foresee the future, their caws were known to be used in divination rituals. 

~Lastly, within Alchemy, the image Crow is symbolized as the first stage of the trasformative process or 'Nigredo'. This stage involved the blackening or cooking of the alchemical ingredients to begin the pathway to the final stage, or the Philosopher's Stone. Within Carl Jung's interpretation of Alchemy as an "Inner Alchemy", this first stage causes the individual to confront their Shadow Self, the start of a deep descent into a union of the conscious with the unconscious. 

~Each hematite sphere is polished and slightly reflective, appearing as a gunmetal gray color. Named for the greek word for blood, hematite is a grounding and protective stone, thought to help stem excessive bleeding. It has been associated with magic, blood, and protection for centuries as well as its practical application of being a pigment. When ground down, its shiny, near silver coloring transforms into a reddish hue akin to the color of dried blood. It is the very same pigment used in prehistoric cave paintings and has also been used as war paint. Hematite was also used as an early mirror for its reflective properties, making it an object that can be used for scrying. 

Cast from life in sterling silver, each crow claw is hand oxidized to achieve my signature shade of rich, gloomy gray and hand polished to achieve a finish that reveals the intricate details of the claw, capturing the wrinkles, folds and textures of the real thing.

Details:

- Solid Sterling Silver 

- 80 mm long 

- 35 mm wide 

- Hematite sphere is *approximately* 20mm in diameter. Please note that because these are cut by hand they vary slightly in size.

Each sphere has been hand selected from a reputable source for color, shape and feeling. These spheres are each hand shaped, please allow for slight imperfections and signs of carvers tools. 

***IMPORTANT***:

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6 weeks for creation before shipping.                   

Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE.

If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com