CHAKANA - Inca Cross Necklace, Leopardite Jasper Pearls Chakana Handmade Jewelry

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The CHAKANA cross pendant necklace is a meaningful jewelry gift for the woman who adores unique crosses. The handmade necklace features a spotted leopardite gemstone Inca cross, glowing brown freshwater pearls and copper. The Inca cross (also called a chakana) is a stepped cross made up of equal arms indicating the cardinal points of the compass and a superimposed square creating twelve corners. Used by Andean cultures from as far back as 600 BC, the chakana was worn as a talisman, as jewelry, woven in textile designs and used as architectural designs. The Spaniards quickly co-opted the Inca cross and it used to help convert the indigenous people to Christianity. The Inca cross (which I bought in Cuzco, Peru, many years ago) is carved from leopardite jasper, a gemstone with natural leopard-like spots. The base stone is usually a light beige color with darker brown or grayish spots. As you can see in the photos, the chakana is two-sided with a unique spotted design on both sides. It will be left up to you to decide which side you like the best. The cross is securely connected to the main body of the necklace with two heavy duty copper jump rings.

To perfectly compliment the colors of the Inca cross, glowing rich coppery brown freshwater pearls were used. The colors shade from a rich, dark copper brown to a lighter golden copper brown with a high sheen. Since the pearls are freshwater, they are not perfectly round as the photos show. Most are somewhat oblong while some have ridges and bumps. This is normal for freshwater pearls and adds great texture to the overall design. Groupings of five pearls are separated by groups of three pearls. Copper bicone and round beads separate all the groups. A copper s-clasp set with raised granulation on both sides securely finishes the necklace. Carefully designed and handmade by Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, the CHAKANA cross necklace is a meaningful gift for the woman who loves to wear one of a kind cross jewelry.

+ Leopardite jasper Inca cross: app. 32 mm x 32 mm x 6 mm (1.3” x 1.3” x 0.23”)
+ Coppery freshwater pearls: on average, app.7 mm x 6 mm
+ Metal: copper
+ Clasp: copper s-clasp set
+ Length: app. 18.75” / 47.6 cm
+ Pendant drop: app. 1.5” / 3.8 cm including copper jump ring bail

SHADOW DOG DESIGNS
Beautifully Unique Handmade Jewelry
for the Discerning Woman