Mother-of-Pearl Spiral Pendant

Pendant mother-of-pearl pendant with spiral

With a glued-on metal eyelet, nickel-free. This is a natural product, so the color, shape, and size may vary and differ from the image shown.

The spiral is a special phenomenon that often occurs in nature.

For example, a galaxy can be spiral-shaped. Furthermore, the spiral can be found in the flora and fauna of our planet: in the way the leaves of a fern are curled, in the many varieties of shells, or even in the shell of a snail.

Like a labyrinth, the spiral symbolizes man's journey through life: a journey into inner life, at the center of being.

Dimensions: 3 cm

Material: Mother-of-pearl

Delivered with a black cotton cord.

History

Mother-of-pearl is known internationally by the name "Nacre", a term derived from the Arabic word "naqqarah", which means shell or casing.

It was Queen Elizabeth I who in the 16th century gave the name "Mother of Pearl" to this shiny material, already known in 3000 B.C. to embellish jewelry and objects. The name also alludes to the fact that shells are, so to speak, the "mothers" of pearls.

Mother-of-pearl has been used for many centuries for the preparation of precious jewelry and art objects. In China, they discovered even in the centuries before the birth of Christ that, by inserting small figures of saints inside still-living mollusks, it was possible in a short time to find them completely covered in Mother-of-pearl. These sculptures represented the deities and, in the hope that they would bring luck to men, they were brought inside religious temples.

The American anthropologist Carlos Castaneda told that the Yaqui Indians of Mexico used to wear Mother-of-pearl necklaces called "hopo'orosim", which were supposed to protect from evil.

In the 20s the Sumerian tombs were opened in Babylon and among the finds emerged a rich treasure of gold, silver, precious stones, as well as numerous wooden ornaments and musical instruments covered in mother-of-pearl.

During the reign of Elizabeth I, the demand for Mother-of-pearl grew incredibly and it was used for the production of all types of jewelry. Even today Mother-of-pearl is very loved, especially moreover in the watchmaking industry, as well as for artistic objects, buttons, and inlaid decorations.

Chemical Composition

Mother-of-pearl is composed of calcium carbonate. The innermost and iridescent layer of mollusks, oysters, or mussels, is called Mother-of-pearl. The colors of Mother-of-pearl differ depending on the species and geographical origin.

Varieties

There are different varieties of Mother-of-pearl. Very widespread is the Mother-of-pearl of the pearl shell, which can reach almost 5 kg in weight. The base color is normally white, except for Tahitian Mother-of-pearl which is darker. Very particular is the Mother-of-pearl of the New Zealand Paua shells. Due to their splendor of colors, their intense brilliance in blue and green tones, and their similarity to Black Opal, they are often called Sea Opal.