Black Onyx Sterling Silver Bear Pendant and Earrings.

This pendant is a true work of art. This pendant features the traditional Pueblo Indian image of the bear in shimmering Sterling Silver. This impressive Sterling Silver pendant has been inlaid with intricately hand cut stones of genuine Black Onyx. A hand twisted Sterling Silver wire has been included for extra detail. Non Indian made. Suspended from a complimentary chain, this pendant is 1" long and 1-1/4" wide. The matching French hook earrings are 1-1/4" long. Stamped Sterling.

A potent source of strength was the bear, whose powers were often invoked before entering battle. Warriors sometimes painted their faces with marks resembling bear claw scratches and carried double-edged knives with Handles carved from the jawbones of bears as good luck charms. It was believed that bear power could also cure illness. Shamans or medicine men from many different groups frequently dressed as bears when working to heal the sick. Just as honoring the bear spirit could bring blessings to people, provoking the spirit might bring them harm. For that reason, some tribes, most notably the Apache, forbade their hunters to kill a bear, or even to touch the carcass of one found dead in the woods.