Labradorite is a feldspar mineral whose most remarkable quality is labradorescence; a phenomenon in which light refracts between the twinned layers within the stone, producing an iridescent play of colour that shifts as the stone moves: blues, greens, golds, and occasionally violet, appearing and disappearing depending on the angle of the light. The effect is entirely internal, caused by the structure of the crystal rather than its surface, and no two stones display it in quite the same way. Labradorite is found primarily in Canada, Madagascar, and Finland, and has been associated since its discovery with magic, transformation, and the unseen. It is said to be a stone of the in-between — of thresholds, of change, of the space between what was and what is becoming. In energy work it is associated with the third eye and crown chakras, supporting intuition, psychic awareness, and the ability to see beyond the surface of things.
Selenite is one of the softest minerals used in jewellery, its surface a silky, translucent white that seems to hold its own quiet light. It is named after Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon, and the association is apt: raw selenite has a pale luminosity that is unlike any other stone. In crystal work it is considered one of the highest vibration stones available, associated with clarity, purification, and connection to higher states of awareness. It is said to cleanse the energy of other stones and of the spaces it inhabits, and to bring a quality of stillness and calm to those who work with it. A stone of light in the most literal sense.
This pendant takes the form of a gold moon frame; an open crescent shape wire wrapped by hand in gold vermeil, with small faceted labradorite beads and micro gold vermeil accent beads woven through the interior in the manner of a dream catcher. The construction is intricate and intentional: the labradorite catches and refracts the light as it moves, the gold accents adding warmth and detail, the whole piece carrying the layered, handmade quality of something made slowly and with care. A small raw selenite is suspended from the top of the moon, its pale luminosity a quiet counterpoint to the shifting colour of the labradorite, two stones associated with light and the unseen, held together in a single piece.
The pendant is paired with a 24 inch gold vermeil satellite chain; a fine chain with tiny gold vermeil microbeads spaced along its length, echoing the bead detail of the pendant and giving the necklace a considered coherence from chain to stone. The chain is plated with 1 micron of 18K gold with an anti-tarnish finish, designed to hold its colour with wear. At 24 inches the necklace sits long with an easy, relaxed drape or it can be wrapped twice to create the layered look of two necklaces, the doubled chain sitting at different lengths and allowing the pendant to be worn closer to the neckline. One piece, worn two ways.
A piece made of light and intention.
Handcrafted at Rachel Hartley Atelier. Arrives gift-ready.
