Skull Earrings, Garnet Eyes, Hand Crafted Recycled Sterling Silver, post buying stud earrings, January birthstone, handmade human skulls

* Sterling silver Skull earrings, Garnet eyes
* Please read the entire description before ordering:

Human Skull post earrings hand crafted in Sterling Silver with natural garnet eyes. The eyes are 2.5mm natural earth mined orange red garnets. Total weight will be about .25 carat. They are very well cut and polished. There are some minor internal inclusions visible with magnification. The skulls measure about 7/16" wide and 17/32" tall, and weigh about 1.5 grams each, 3 grams total. The last picture shows the back of one of the skulls next to a Dime and a ruler in inches for visual size scale. The posts are sterling silver and the ear nuts are Surgical Steel.

The sterling silver I use to make my earrings is alloyed using newly refined recycled silver. The only difference between recycled sterling silver and silver not identified as recycled is the source of the pure silver. Recycled silver has less impact on the environment than newly mined silver. Otherwise, it is exactly the same. I believe that if we all work together towards positive change, we can make the world a better, healthier place. That's why I use recycled where I can. The Navy blue jewelry box it will be sent in is also made with 100% recycled materials.

I will set the garnets into the eyes in these earrings when you order them. I keep the silver skulls made up and ready to set various stones in when they are ordered. It normally takes me only 2 to 5 days, but please allow up to 3 to 5 business days for me to get the garnets set and the earrings sent.

If you would like to order one earring only, the listing for a single earring is located here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/763271186/single-skull-earringchoose-gem-sapphire

I have these earrings with a variety of different gems listed in my shop; also skull and crossbones rings. I can make skull earrings like this with just about any faceted gemstone. If you would like something custom made for you, please contact me.

Gemologically Speaking; This is the educational part:

The origins of the name Garnet are lost in it's long history of use as a gemstone. It may come from the Middle English word "gernet" which means dark red, or the Latin "granatus" which means grain and may also refer to the red seeds of the pomegranate. But whatever the origin on the name, Garnets are not all red. They are found in many colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colorless. The rarest of these is the blue garnet, discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar.

Garnet is not a single gemstone, but a group of closely related mineral species called neosilicates with the general chemical formula X3Y4(SiO4)3. X is usually Calcium, Magnesium, or Iron, and Y is usually Aluminum, Iron, or Chromium. Garnets are most often found crystallized in the dodecahedral crystal habit, but are also commonly found in the trapezohedron habit. There are 6 common species of garnet, and many uncommon species. The 6 common species which are most often used as gemstones are Pyrope, Almandine, Spessartine, Grossular (Hessonite and Tsavorite), Uvarovite, and Andradite. Tsavorite is green Grossular garnet. Tsavorite was first described in the 1960s in the Tsavo area of Kenya, from which the gem takes its name. Most garnet gem stones are actually a natural mixture of 2 or more species; almost never one by itself. So for example, if a garnet is identified as a Spessartite Garnet, this just means the stone is mostly Spessartite and the other species of garnet present are of a lower percentage and are not identified. This explains why there can be so many different shades of garnet colors within a given species. No matter what name or color, garnet gemstones are not enhanced, and their colors are always natural.

The hardness of garnet varies from 6.5 to 7.5 because of the varying composition which makes the atomic bonds stronger in some species than in others. Almandine is the hardest. The refractive index of garnet is from 1.72 - 1.94. Garnet is mined from metamorphic and igneous rock all over the world. It has been used in jewelry since Roman times. Garnet is the state mineral of Connecticut, New York's state gemstone, and Star Garnet is the state gemstone of Idaho.

Metaphysically Speaking:

Historically Garnet was known as the Warrior's Stone, and ancient soldiers carried garnet to protect them against death and injury. It was also believed to bring victory, peace, and tranquility.

Garnet is January's birthstone and associated with Aquarius in the Zodiac. Garnet is thought to heal, to enhance bodily strength, to enhance endurance and vigor, to protect health of the heart and blood. It is said that garnet strengthens, purifies, vitalizes and regenerates body systems, especially the bloodstream. It has a strong affinity with the root chakra, helping to harmonize the potent forces of the kundalini. It stimulates the pituitary gland, and aligns subtle bodies. It has a positive affect on love, compassion, and enhances imagination.

** The free shipping offered to an address within the United States is by First Class US Post. An upgrade to faster Priority or Priority Express US shipping is available at checkout.

*INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: I no longer buying ship to countries outside the USA.