Abruzzo Heart Pendant

The Heart of Abruzzo is a jewel with origins linked to transhumance, practiced for centuries in my region: at the beginning of the cold season, the shepherds of the mountain centers took their flocks south, in search of good pastures, remaining away from home for about eight months of the year. 🏔️

As a token of love for their girlfriends and wives who remained in the village, some of them had a heart-shaped jewel commissioned, which they would donate in exchange for some of their hair to carry on the long journey.

The “starlets” inside the heart are thought to represent sections of fossil coral found within the “Stregonia” or “Stellaria”:
Originally, the pendant was supposed to be only partly made of metal and mostly of limestone containing such fossils, very common in the Abruzzo mountains.

Stellaria was in fact considered an anti-evil eye amulet, which would protect its owner from any negative energy.

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Material: brass or 925 silver, cadmium and nickel free.
To maintain its shine, simply wipe it with a microfibre cloth (included in the package) with a few drops of brass or silver cream from time to time, or leave the jewel to soak in a warm solution of salt and vinegar for 15 minutes and then rub it with the cloth.

The pendant size is approximately 1.7 x 2 cm.

If you choose the brass version, the pendant will come with a gold-plated steel chain (about 45 cm long) and a handmade clasp. If you want a longer or shorter chain, write it to me in the order notes!

If you choose the silver version, the chain will not be included, but you can contact me privately to request it.

Each piece will have small differences, which will make it unique, due to the entirely manual processing.