Abruzzo Heart Pendant

The Heart of Abruzzo is a jewel whose origins are linked to transhumance, a practice practiced for centuries in my region: at the beginning of the cold season, shepherds from the mountain villages would lead their flocks south in search of good pastures, staying 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 “stars” inside the heart are thought to represent sections of fossil coral found within the “Stregonia” or “Stellaria”:
Originally, the pendant was intended to be only partially 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, cadmium and nickel free.
To maintain its shine, simply wipe a few drops of brass or silver polish with a microfiber cloth (included) every now and then, or soak the jewel in a warm salt and vinegar solution for 15 minutes and then rub it with the cloth.

The pendant measures approximately 1.7 x 2 cm.

The pendant will arrive with a gold-plated steel chain (approximately 45 cm long) and a handmade clasp. If you'd like a longer or shorter chain, please let me know in the order notes!

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