Iona Marble Columba's Tear Pendant

Off the west coast of Scotland lies the tiny Isle of Iona, barely 3 miles long by 1.5 miles wide.  Despite its diminutive size, it was a huge influence in establishing Christianity in Scotland and beyond.   St Columba, a determined monk arriving from Ireland, landed on its white, sandy beaches in 563AD with a handful of devoted followers, and firmly cemented Iona's place in history as the 'cradle of Christianity'.   After building his first Celtic church, St Columba set about converting Pagan Scotland to the Christian faith.  Iona's growing fame as a centre of excellence for learning, turned it into a place of pilgrimage for visitors from all over Europe.   Iona also became a sacred Isle where many kings of Scotland, Ireland and Norway were buried.

Why do silversmiths use 925%? Measured in parts per thousand, pure silver (999%) is too soft so silversmiths mix it with other metals to make it it harder. The purer the metal, the higher the polish, but it is a lot softer (thus less durable). The harder the metal is, the more hard wearing the jewellery is, but it will also tarnish easier as it has less silver content.  Therefore, the silver industry set a standard percentage content for fine silver (925); what we know as "sterling silver".  At Two Skies our silversmiths use 925 (sterling) silver for ring shafts and moving parts, and a very high 950% on our stones settings, which enables us to get a strong jewellery item with a beautiful and secure stone setting, without any gluing. Each piece of our jewellery is hand stamped with our Two Skies Hallmark alongside the recognised industry 925 Hallmark.

Relax - you can shop with confidence at Two Skies.  If you change your mind, simply get in touch to let us know you want to return one or all of your items within 7 days of receiving your order, and we'll get a replacement/refund arranged - no quibbles!