TINY ARTEMIS EARRINGS: Faceted OPALS (OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE)

Our October birthstone is OPAL, and once again we have some lovely gemstones to use in our earrings and necklaces! This is our first time offering Opals with some of our traditional designs and they look absolutely amazing!

My "Artemis" collection was inspired by the Greek Goddess of hunting, the wilderness and wild animals! Equal parts feminine and badass warrior, my design for the Artemis earrings and necklaces features a hammered brass curved "bow", with Faceted Opals. 
 
Artemis, in ancient Greek religion, was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, vegetation and of chastity and childbirth. (She was identified by the Romans as Diana.) Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and was the twin sister of Apollo. Among the rural populace, Artemis was the favorite goddess! Her character and function varied greatly from place to place but behind all forms lay the goddess of wild nature who danced, usually accompanied by nymphs in mountains, forests, and marshes. 

"Opal" comes from the Sanskrit word upala, which means "precious stone." This comes from the stories from ancient India, which said the Mother Goddess changed the virgin Goddess of the Rainbow into a stone to save her from the amorous attentions of three gods. The word was adopted in Latin during Roman times as opalus. It is said that precious opal, with its display of fire, can spark creativity, and that the "dance" of its fire can help people enjoy their lives. The gemstone has been associated with the sacral chakra, imbalances of which can cause problems with addictions. 

The width of the "string" of gemstones is 1 1/8" wide, the "bow" is 7/8" wide x 1 1/8" tall. These hang 3 1/4" from the sterling silver earwires to the bottoms of the silver chains.