Navajo Indian Hematite Crazy Horse Howlite Silver Necklace 2995-BNK
Navajo Indian Hematite Crazy Horse Howlite Silver Necklace
Night and day, this necklace has a gorgeous contrast. This elegant necklace has been hand strung with petite beads of genuine Howlite and large faceted beads of genuine Hematite. These Hematite and Crazy Horse Howlite beads have been strung in an alternating fashion for a look of classic beauty. Each end of this necklace is dressed with a shimmering Sterling Silver cone. Strung in our shop by Navajo artists Berlinda Begay and Pauline Jim. This necklace is 19" long.
Hematite is an important iron ore gemstone and it's deep red color that it has when it's ground up makes it useful as a pigment. The name Hematite is rooted in the Greek language, based on the word "haima" meaning blood, and it was named as such because of the color of its powder. Superstitions of the ancient world held that large deposits of hematite grew on fresh battlefields where the blood of the wounded and slain seeped into the ground and mixed together within the earth. Hematite relates strongly to Mars, the Roman God of War. Warriors in Ancient Rome used Hematite as protection during battle. Their belief was that Hematite could make them invincible in the midst of their raids. Crystals of Hematite are rare and are highly sought after by collectors. This attention grabbing gemstone can be found in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Mars. That's right, the god of war's planet, Mars. Hematite has been found on the red planet, which has led scientists to the break-though discovery that the Martian atmosphere may have had water in the past. Some of these scientists even believe that the old Martian atmosphere that created the Hematite could have sustained life.
Howlite, which is named for its discoverer Henry How (a Nova Scotia geologist), is one of those minerals that is more famous for imitating another mineral. In this case the other mineral is turquoise, a phosphate gemstone. Although Howlite is always white or gray, it can accept dyes fairly easily and be dyed a turquoise blue. California is the source for almost all of the Howlite trade where nodules of up to one hundred pounds have been found.
We understand the true value and nature of hand crafted Indian art. And, we recognize it's important to know that the artist is truly a member of a Native American tribe. So, to ensure you that this is the real deal, a Certificate of Authenticity has been included with this item.
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