Isle of Cyprus

Blue Chalcedony, Copper, Gold and Silver Artisan Necklace

Isle of Cyprus has been sold, but if you like this style, let me know! I would love to work with you on a custom-designed piece of jewelry. Just send me a note at kelly@xogallery.com and we'll get started!

Sold Price: $300

Brilliant blue faceted chalcedony rounds and bold copper components make this a rich and enigmatic neckpiece. Beautiful Bali silver and vermeil beads separate each awesome blue globe, bringing energy and movement to the piece by adding depth and contrast in both color and form. Green patinaed copper beads make a wonderful transition between the bright blue of the chalcedony and the "liquid" copper, giving this necklace some rugged earthiness. This stunning necklace is an original piece of handcrafted artisan jewelry.

Chalcedony is the general term for quartz made of microscopically small crystals. Rather than being clear and glassy like typical quartz, it is translucent and waxy, making it more solid in color. Although coming in many colors, the term chalcedony has most commonly come to refer to the blue and purple varieties of this stone. The stone was most likely named after Calchedon, an ancient maritime city of Bithynia on the Sea of Marmara in modern day Turkey.

Both the copper and green patinaed beads have a base formed from a unique mixture of terra cotta clays. They are handmade in Greece, kiln-fired, coated with rough copper, kiln-fired again, and finally coated with pure copper. The additional step of a chemical patina is applied to these copper beads to give them the green patina effect. All of these terra cotta beads are truly unique, mixing ancient and modern styles and effects.

The sparkling blue of this magnificent chalcedony immediately reminds me of the sparkling blue waters of a pristine pool or the shallow waters off an island. While researching an appropriate body of water after which to name this piece, I discovered Cyprus, the Isle of Copper. Cyprus has huge copper reserves that have been mined since ancient times, and in fact, the word "copper" even comes from the Greek name for the island, Kupros. With its copper components, Grecian terra cotta, and its pristine blue chalcedony actually named after an ancient Mediterranean city, Isle of Cyprus seems a perfect name for this vivid designer neckpiece.