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Genuine, Natural, High Quality Antique Indian Semi-Precious Malachite Gemstone Chips on 14kt Gold Fill French Hooks.

Handcrafted antique gemstone chips, about ten carats on each hook, mounted onto high quality 14kt gold fill french hooks.

The fabled land of India has been famous for centuries for its production of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, topaz, aquamarine, and other precious and semi-precious gemstones. The gemstones were not only mined in India, they were most frequently hand cut as well, more often than not in Bombay. These are bright, colorful malachite gemstones, favored for their rich, variegated, bright green tones. Malachite is frequently mentioned in the Bible, and was one of the ancient world's most popular gemstones. Its banded light and dark green designs are unique in the gemstone world, and gave it a unique ornamental quality unlike that of any other stone available to ancient artisans. Evidence exists which indicates that malachite was ground for use as eye shadow at least 6,000 years ago, and ancient amulets carved from malachite have been dated to between 15,000 and 25,000 years. It is believed that even Neanderthal Man produced malachite carvings. In any event, these gemstone earrings possess a very rich, velvety, visual texture.

These gorgeous malachite earrings are composed of the chips which are the by-product of the cutting and faceting larger gemstones by artisans in Bombay's famous gemstone district. There are about fifteen of these gemstone chips, hand drilled, very rich in both hue and texture. The gemstones are antique - which means they are not of the absolutely highest quality. For most, the unique nature and character of these antique gemstones more than makes up for the imperfections which by and large are only visible under magnification. However the chips were tumbled so as to smooth sharp edges, and the results speak for themselves - some very beautiful pieces of malachite. The total weight of the gemstones is about ten carats to each earring. These antique gemstone chips have been mounted onto contemporary gold fill french hooks. They could also be remounted onto kidney wires, lever backs, euroclicks, or ball studs if you would prefer; or remounted onto sterling silver. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout. Though the gemstones are antique, keep in mind that the sterling hooks and pins are contemporary.

Malachite gets it's name from the Greek word "Mala'khe", which refers to its green color. In the ancient world malachite was a famous and very popular semi-precious stone. The Egyptians seem to have been the first to mine and use malachite as early as 4000 B.C. in the manufacture of amulets, jewelry and cosmetics. Malachite and Azurite, closely related as oxidized forms of copper ore, have also long been powdered and used as pigments (Azurite yields blue and malachite green). In fact, the ancient Egyptians probably used the pigment as eye shadow even before the first Egyptian dynasty. Powdered malachite pigment was used in tomb paintings from the Fourth Dynasty on. Both minerals when properly polished are highly ornamental. Due to its beauty and relative softness, polished, banded Malachite has been carved into ornaments and worn as jewelry for thousands of years. Ancient artisans used both malachite and azurite widely as gemstones, azurite being a constituent ingredient of lapis lazuli.

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world's history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar's led to further education and conacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings - the gold reused - the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state - most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees - fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or "lab produced") gemstones which dominate the market today.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

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