Inspired by one of the first mourning strands I composed, The Weeping Woman is a strand I find myself wearing daily lately because of its presence on my body. I decided to update the design, here its traditional inky Onyx spheres are married to large Onyx star cuts and are spaced with tiny sterling silver beads to represent the silk knots I first used when I began this portion of the line. Here, I was thinking of The Weeping Woman haunting the edges of The Tower, gathering ash and creating mourning ink for paintings. 

The original strand this was created in sisterhood to, was made in homage to Frida Kahlo. In the most recent film made of her life, there is a scene where Frida is mourning the betrayal of her husband in a bar. An older woman, crone like and ghostly, begins singing  La Llorona, serenading her in a bar. This woman is actually Chavela Vargas, who knew Frida in life. I can’t imagine what that must have felt like for her, the synchronicity ( although planned) to serenade such a song to Salma Hayek who looked like her Frida in her youth, a friend who had been gone for decades. The strand was a reaction to this moment, to Frida’s paintings, to her pain, to the grief of those who are gone from us forever, to the ghosts of women who haunt the edges. 

Nothing about ghostly creatures of lore or Frida denotes subtlety, so this strand was also designed to stand out, to haunt the body, to assist in comfort. You know it is there when you wear it. I often catch myself bringing the beads up to my lips or twirling them in my fingers. When I wear it, it becomes an extension of my body, it is a tactile experience; grounding and comforting. Likewise, because of the size and variation of the beads, they can easily be associated into a mediation practice. For me, they are kept near or worn during my writing practice. I hope it can assist you in meeting yourself, in grounding or comforting you in moments of anxiety or aloneness. 

Designed also in homage to the large strands Frida wore in life, this is one of the heavier strands I've designed so please keep that in mind before you order. I wear mine daily with no issue but more sensitive folks should take note. 

This strand is composed of glossy black onyx spheres, star cut onyx, sparkling spinel, and tiny hollow sterling silver 'Pearl' beads that have been hand oxidized and lightly polished. It measures approximately 44 inches long from end to end, including clasp.

This 'Opera Length' makes it possible for wearing doubled up as well as at its full length. Designed to compliment other Onyx jewels in the Mourning/Ritual bead line it also layers beautifully with other BloodMilk necklaces. 

At its closure is our larger, double sided Séance clasp cast in sterling silver. 

Onyx:

Onyx is best known for being a natural stone that acts as a kind of 'psychic armor' against the negativity of others. It is also used to sooth grief and heartbreak. It's a wonderful grounding stone and stone of self mastery, enabling its wearers to have mental and spiritual focus.

These beads 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. 

Each bead has been hand selected for its quality.

Spinel:

Spinel is a potent stone for healing and protection: working to help clear intense emotions such as anger and rage, it imbues its wearer with a sense of calm. It is also used to heal the physical body and has powerful metaphysical qualities, helping its wearer to feel strong, assisting with perseverance, especially when dealing with issues from the past that have become difficult to overcome. Much like Onyx, it also helps repel negativity from others.

 **IMPORTANT***:

This strand is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 5 weeks for creation before shipping.          

*Length note: Because individual bead measurements vary slightly, total strand lengths are approximate within a few millimeters in either direction. Please reach out via email if you have any questions about this. 

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

Please email any questions to bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com for a timely and kind response.