AMBER SUNSHINE - Golden Amber Necklace, Turquoise Gemstones Copper Handmade Jewelry

About:

Ancient people believed that amber captured sunlight which is why it glowed. What a whimsical and cheerful thought that was! You can see why captured sunlight is a perfect description when you wear the AMBER SUNSHINE artisan necklace. Created with pyramid pressed amber nuggets, the one of a kind necklace also includes genuine turquoise and copper.

*** Before I start describing the necklace, here is a bit about amber. Actually fossilized tree resin (not sap as is commonly thought), amber is between 30 - 90 million years old and is one of the few gemstones that is not a "rock". It comes in a variety of colors, from almost black to white, but the most common colors are shades of yellow. Most people don't realize it, but a huge majority of amber is not natural. To be called "natural" amber, the amber cannot have any processes done to it other than carving, sanding and polishing. Most amber today has been heat treated to change its color and / or melted and reformed. These are still considered real amber but are not "natural". Unfortunately, there are many resin and plastic amber beads today that are being passed off as natural or real amber.

The amber used in the AMBER SUNSHINE handmade necklace was melted, had tiny air bubbles injected and then pressed (reformed) into unique pyramid shaped beads, flat on the bottom and pointed at the top with three sides. Since it was reformed, the amber is REAL, but is NOT natural amber. Two colors of translucent amber were used: the majority is a glowing golden color but flecks here and there of a dark brown amber was also included. Air bubbles were then injected as the amber was still warm; once the amber solidified, the bubbles were trapped. Because of the bubbles, the pressed amber glistens as the light refracts when passing through each piece. There is a constant sparkle as the angle of the light changes, each piece of amber is different with the amount and placement of the air bubbles. Please see photo #5 for a close up of the pressed amber barrels. A you can see in the photos, the tips of the pyramid shaped amber gemstones face towards each other, as do the flat bottoms.

To perfectly highlight the amber, genuine turquoise rondelles were placed between each piece of amber. The colors of the turquoise range from a turquoise blue through greens, beiges and dark brown, many rondelles having more than one color. A small copper bead separates the rondelles from the amber to give the necklace a sinuous drape. Three turquoise beads finish the back of each side of the necklace. A patterned copper toggle clasp securely fastens the necklace. Carefully designed and handmade by Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, the AMBER SUNSHINE necklace will radiate goodness each and every time it is worn and will quickly become a favorite for the woman who is lucky enough to own it.

+ Pressed amber pyramids: app. 20 mm x 15 mm at the widest (0.8” x 0.6”)
+ Real turquoise rondelles: app. 6 mm x 4 mm
+ Metal: copper
+ Clasp: pure copper patterned toggle clasp set
+ Length: app. 19” / 48.3 cm

SHADOW DOG DESIGNS
Beautifully Unique Handmade Jewelry
for the Discerning Woman