IMPORTANT: This listing is for a One of a Kind jewel that cannot be replaced. We recommend Express Shipping with signature required upon delivery to make sure it arrives safely into your hands. 

This necklace is Ready To Ship and will leave the studio in 3-5 business days.

PLEASE NOTE: This necklace will be created an 18" bar link chain. If you desire a different chain length you must reach out to us immediately after placing your order for a custom quote on the additional length. 

Three gray moonstone cabochons are cradled in a nest of thorns cast from a Hawthorn tree branch harvested from near the Mima mounds in Washington. Please note that as these thorns are life cast, they are slightly sharp and should be worn and handled with care. 

Belonging to the rose family ( Roseaceae ), the Ancient Hawthorn tree, sister to the Blackthorn, has been utilized as a protective hedge for thousands of years as well as being steeped in folklore for just as long. Also known as the Whitethorn, the May tree and The Fairy Tree, Hawthorn has long been considered to be a portal to the Otherworld where the ‘bright ones’ live, namely the Queen of the Faeries. 

Used as hedges due to its thorny branches, it was often planted with Blackthorn to create dense thickets to create land and livestock boundaries. These thorny entanglements would subsequently create protection for wildlife as well, harboring birds and other animals while fencing in livestock. Their thorns, while not inherently poisonous, are sharp enough to penetrate the skin and carry a bacteria that can cause sepsis and death. 

Named the May Tree for its early Spring blossoming, ( though due to changes in seasons this may shift from year to year ), the blooms have an unusual scent of rotting meat and were prohibited from being brought into the homes due to bad luck. However, it was considered apotropaic to decorate the outside of homes and barns with garlands of the flowers to ward against negative energies. Interestingly, the blooms were associated with love and fertility and brides wore them in their hair. 

Once the flowers dropped, the haws or fruits would begin to appear. These shiny red berries provided nutrients that supported the heart and are still used in modern tea blends you can purchase at the grocery store today. In folk magic, the berries would also be used as beads for love and protection talismans.

Known also as the 'Wishing Tree', people would tie 'wish-rags' gently to the branches of the Hawthorn in search of knowledge or wishes. Hawthorn, unlike Blackthorn is a deeply healing tree, otherworldly, intense, but gentler than its darker sister.

The lone Hawthorns, not planted as hedges, were considered to be the sacred homes of the Fey and were fiercely protected as portals to the Otherworld. This key is a protective amulet while traveling, both in other realms as well as the mundane one. 

The proximity to pain while wearing Hawthorn suggests being mindful to the emotional realms of it: our ability to stay present and persevere during intense times as well as the hope for healing psychic wounds by piercing them-facing them, allowing them to drain and heal.

While some wounds may never be healed : the presence of thorns over our wounds protects from further damage : a guardianship.

*Details* :

- 70 mm from top to bottom

- 24 mm wide

- Solid Sterling Silver  

- Both pendant and chain are hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath

- Set with two 12 x 15 and one 10 x 12 mm oval shaped gray moonstone cabochons

Gray Moonstone:

Gray moonstone shares many of the same metaphysical properties as the rest of the moonstone family. It is closely tied to the moon, with some cultures believing the stone is solidified moon rays, while others think of them as embodiments of the moon's tears. Acting as a kind of Psychic armor, it is thought to protect its wearer from not only dark nights, but dark times; it helps sooth grief, loss, and other emotional turbulence. Moonstone is also known for its powerful psychic abilities. Used to protect empaths & sensitives from absorbing other people's emotions, it is known to be used during meditation for connecting to ones inner selves. As a romantic stone, it is known to strengthen the bonds between lovers when given as gifts, especially during the full moon. 

This jewel is hand cut and therefore may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. It has not been fabricated by a machine rather it hand cut and therefore might not be uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stone and the cut. 

***IMPORTANT***  

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