Stick Pearl Sterling Silver Pendant

Pearl

The birthstone for June. Along with amber and jet, pearl is an 'organic gem', meaning that it's not simply a mineral material but has been created from or by a living organism. When a mollusk gets sand or another foreign body stuck inside its shell, it soothes the irritation by coating the speck with layer upon layer of iridescent nacre - this is how pearls, of various shapes, sizes and colours, are formed. Because of these origins they are considered gems of nurturing, nourishment and healing.

Sterling Silver (925%)

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.