Description
Snail ornament (made with amethyst and sterling silver)
Measurements: 12 x 10 x 10 cm
This unique piece – designed and created by Pestelli Creazioni – has a base made with a fine specimen of amethyst on which a graceful hand engraved sterling silver snail is placed.
Amethyst is one of the most beautiful stones in the group of crystalline Quartz. Legend has it that it was created by the god of wine: Dionysus for the ancient Greeks and Bacchus for the ancient Romans. Dionysus, pursued the maiden Amethyst, so Artemis, to save her from him turned her into transparent crystal. Dionysus got angry and threw his glass of red wine on the crystal, coloring it and creating this way the stone we know. Some supernatural powers are attributed to the amethyst, including the power to heal ailments. Leonardo da Vinci wrote that the Amethyst was able to drive away negative thoughts and sharpen intelligence, while Pliny the Elder claimed it was an amulet against witchcraft and a talisman for the supplicants. Long before the Roman emperors adopted the vivid purple, called “toga picta”, it was Pharaohs, Queens and Kings who made Amethyst a powerful symbol of sovereignty. From Cleopatra’s seal to Queen Charlotte’s Amethyst necklace, the Amethyst has always been tied to power. It is therefore not surprising that this gem was also very popular in the Middle Ages amongst the Catholic clergy. Believing that it favored celibacy, it immediately became known as the “papal stone” and even today the bishops wear Amethyst rings.
Handmade in Florence, Italy
