The title of the ring comes from my favorite two lines of a poem by John Keats, 'Ode to a Nightingale':

"Darkling I listen; and, for many a time

I have been half in love with easeful Death,.."

For me personally, this 'death' is represented by our 'Shadow Selves' or the aspects of our personality that are considered dark or unwanted by either ourselves or society. As children we learn how to suppress the parts of ourselves that are unacceptable through our parents or others. However, these parts are never eradicated, instead they are slipped into the coffins of our psyches like secrets. Often aspects of our shadow selves will sneak out of this protective encasing and will rear their intense heads when we least expect it, or, these aspects are parts of ourselves that we choose to face and integrate into our adult personalities. Working and accepting our shadow selves is what Carl Jung describes in his writings on inner alchemy as the 'Nigredo' phase, the phase in which we confront the most dark aspects of ourselves in a quest for wholeness.

In 'traditional' alchemy, the 'Nigredo' phase is the phase in which all ingredients used to obtain the 'philosopher's stone' are burned, purified, blackened; in a sense, killed, in order for new life to spring forth. 

This ring is also a nod to 'Dracula', a movie that when it came out influenced my ideas on romance. I know the actual novel is different than the movie, but the bat bones here represent the creatures of the night, creatures that are often shunned by society much like the Vampire, and much like our shadow selves. 

This ring is also a nod to Victorian Mourning jewelry. After the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria fell into a deep grief that was shared by the nation. This led to mourning rituals being instilled in society, which had many intricate rules such as wearing black and then purple for set periods of time, wearing the hair of your beloved in lockets and rings, taking portraits of the deceased etc. 

This ring is in a sense, a talisman to remember your shadow, remember that all parts of yourself however dark and shadowy are worthy of acceptance, even if they are filling the coffin that's tucked away in the pit of your psyche.

Cast immortal in sterling silver, bat wing and leg bones molded from the real thing, are composed into a beautiful setting cradling a garnet coffin cut jewel. 

Details:

- Coffin setting is 9mm wide

- Coffin setting is 14mm tall

- Sterling silver setting

- 8 x 12mm coffin cut Garnet stone 

Garnet is seemingly named for a few things, the most interesting and well known being that of the Pomegranate, named for either its glowing red color or its relational look to the seeds within when polished. This has tied it to the myth of the Goddess Persephone in some of its lore, who is as inseparable to the Pomegranate and its fateful seeds as Eve is to the apple of Eden. This association, admittedly, is what first drew me to Garnet, but its long and storied history, spanning many cultures and parts of the world is as fascinating as just about any other gemstone of my acquaintance. I also fell for its uncanny beauty, which  like a glowing ember one can wear on the skin, appears alive like fire does. 

As an ancient gemstone, the Egyptians knew of its power and beauty, which seems to be the seal of magical authenticity on the stone as it was found not only amongst grave goods but also within the settings of talismans wrapped in the layers of mummies to protect the body on its journey to the afterlife. I imagine it being present with its wearer before the weighing of the heart, as it’s a stone closely aligned with the heart ( akin in this way, to Rose Quartz. ) 

Created under extreme pressure and temperatures in the darkness of the subterranean realms, Garnet persists and thrives under these difficult circumstances - suggesting strength and personal resiliency. It’s also, like the Phoenix, associated with fire and its transformative properties, rising from extremely high temperatures. It’s considered to be a stone of creativity, as it’s ‘blood’ colored and associated with fire and the heart, ( as mentioned above) suggesting a quickening of the blood, a call to creative action, passion.

This passion also extends to both romantic and platonic relationships, the stone was given to strengthen bonds between friends and lovers due to its association with the Persephone myth in a strange nod to how Pomegranate seeds kept Persephone bond to the Underworld for part of the year/ being returned to the Upper realms for Spring/Summer, ( this also made it a traveler’s stone) as well as for its color being similar to heart’s blood. 

Another interesting bit : in the Medieval Ages it was considered to ward off Melancholy and also, interestingly, to be the material that Dragon’s eyes were made of. 

All in all, Garnet is a wildly magical and highly potent stone, beautiful, ancient and intense; a personal raging fire to keep close- to remind you that you belong to the land of the living. To quicken the blood when feeling otherwise. 

These jewels are hand cut and therefore may have very slight differences in size and may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. These are not fabricated by a machine, they are made by hand and therefore aren't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stones and the cuts. 

***IMPORTANT***

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Due to the influx of orders during our Garnet Release, please allow approximately 5 - 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