Love Down Under

Warm and soulful, this exotic two-strand necklace has an overall relaxing and subtle feel to it while at the same time the deep hues and bold components inspire a feeling of passion and profound love. A mature and elegant composition of purples and brassy yellows is balanced by the fun and unique terra cotta rings and spiral heart charm. This enchanting necklace is a wonderful piece of jewelry that inspires strength and happiness and makes the wearer feel loved and special. This necklace was originally custom made based on the Love Down Under Bracelet.

The beautiful warm purple and yellow gemstone is called mookaite and is a type of jasper found only in Australia. It is formed as a sediment in erosion zones and as a filler in cracks. It is named for where it was first found - Mooka Station - a huge sheep farm on the west side of the Kennedy Range in Western Australia. In Australia, mookaite is considered a healing stone that gives the wearer strength.

Antiqued gold-plated pewter bars are used to space the mookaite nuggets while adding a contrast of color, texture and material. These bars have a distinct Greek meandros design, which is the squared spiral pattern and also known as the Greek key. The two brass beads at either end of the necklace are handmade beads from Africa. These woven brass beads are handmade in a village near Kumasi, Ghana. They are individually made by weaving wax "wires" into a form, investing them in clay, burning out the wax and pouring molten brass into the mold. Each mold is hand made making each bead slightly different from the next. Although these appear to be ancient beads, they are actually newly made in Ghana.

This art-inspired necklace closes with a giant brass lobster clasp and rings of terra cotta from Greece. It can adjust in length from 20 to 24" using the attached brass cable chain. A simple, but bold pewter spiral heart pendant adds some modern character to this vintage style piece.