Sterling silver, 18k gold, hand-carved ivory from recycled piano keys, Chinese turquoise, and Australian opal.
Price: $1,200
'I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each...I have seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown back When the wind blows the water white and black. We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown."
~ T. S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
Tales of mermaids, the protectors and keepers of the water, are nearly universal in all cultures throughout the world. Whether the granters of wishes from European legend, the ancient Assyrian goddess called Atargatis, or Aycayia ("she of the beautiful voice" in Caribbean folklore), mermaids seem to fulfill a very ancient and particular need in the collective human consciousness. The mermaid is the most persistent and pervasive symbol of the old Goddess energy that represents women, possessed of mystery and power. Alternatively saving the lives of lost sailors or luring them to a watery death with their beautiful songs, mermaids possess a dual-sided nature throughout the many myths in which they appear.
Additionally, as water is currently associated with the human unconscious, mermaids can be considered the guardians of the unconscious realms of the mind. As the protectors of the water and all life that resides within, mermaids also protect these unguarded areas and aspects of the darker regions of the human brain.
On the front of the pendant, the mermaid swims gently, her tail flowing out behind her as she contemplates her relation to the sea, as represented by the watery patterns within the turquoise behind her.
Sterling silver, 18k gold, hand-carved ivory from recycled piano keys, black onyx, and black sapphires.
Price: $1,100
The tragic story of Odette, the beautiful swan princess under a curse by the sorcerer Von Rothbart, begins on a moonlight night by an enchanted lake. The prince of all the kingdom, named Siegfried, has just been told by his queen mother that he must wed the next day, although there is no one he loves. Distraught, he wanders to a nearby lake where, under the light of the full moon, a flock of swans shake off the sky from their wings and land upon the shore. Siegfried aims his hunting bow at the first swan when suddenly, as though melting upwards in a cloud of white, a pale and beautiful maiden appears: the princess Odette. Moved by her strange and delicate face, the prince reveals himself and the two are transfixed: their love and fate now forever determined. Siegfried begs Odette to return with him the next evening, that he may announce her as his betrothed before the entire kingdom.
The sorcerer Von Rothbart, however, has overheard the vows of Siegfried and Odette, and the next night at the ball, he casts a spell over his own daughter Odile to resemble the exact features of Odette.
Seeing the face of his beloved, Siegfried immediately swears to marry her and love no other. Instantly, lightening strikes around the castle and Odile's face melts away to reveal a hideous parody of Odette's face laughing at him while her sorcerer father had transformed into his true owl form. Despairing, Siegfried flees from the castle to find his true Odette, waiting in misery for him by the lake. Together, they embrace and their tears mingle in a single stream. Now never able to be his, Odette kisses her prince and, quickly slipping out of his arms, she throws herself into the dark waters of the lake and was seen no more. Siegfried hesitates not a moment, and he too vanished below the surface at the exact same spot as his love.
On the front of the pendant, the princess Odette raises a delicate hand to her breast and closes her eyes, thinking of her prince and her unshakable love. On the back of the pendant, she takes form as a swan, gracefully sliding over the waters of the enchanted lake. The necklace can therefore be worn two ways, each side just as beautiful as the other.
Sterling silver, 18k gold, hand-carved ivory from recycled piano keys, black saphhires, labradorite, black onyx, and freshwater pearls.
Price: $1,800
The timeless and tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde dates back to Middle Ages and has heavily influenced the romance of Lancelot and Gweneviere. It begins on the shores of Ireland, where the young knight Tristan has suffered a mortal wound from combat and is only saved from death by the ministering hands of Isolde, the beautiful Irish princess. Unbeknownst to Isolde, Tristan has killed her fiancé Morold: the very man who wounded Tristan so severely. Upon realizing this, Isolde bemoans her charity - until she looks into Tristan's loving eyes and takes pity on him. The two soon part ways, until Tristan returns to Ireland to bring back a bride for his uncle, King Marke of Cornwall. The bride, however, turns out to be none other than Isolde herself, much to Tristan's dismay.
There are several differing versions of accounts detailing the return voyage to Cornwall: some accounts postulate that both Tristan and Isolde accidentally drink a potion that causes them to fall instantly in love, and others maintain that the two simply became enamored over the course of the voyage, remembering their previous time spent together. Whatever the case, Tristan and Isolde can never be parted from one another and continue to be lovers even after Isolde's marriage to King Marke. They are eventually discovered by the King, who weeps that his most loyal knight should so betray him, and a similarly enraged knight wounds Tristan in his grief and shame.
Back in his home in Brittany, Tristan lies dying of his wound that only Isolde and her healing arts can save: he sends for her and begs her to fly white sails if she agrees and arrives to save him, black sails if she will not. Tristan's companion Iseult keeps watch for him but, seeing the white sails and secretly in love with Tristan, she tells him that the sails on the approaching ship are black. Tristan dies of grief before Isolde can reach him, and she soon follows him into the realms of the dead.
On the front of the pendant, the Irish princess Isolde stares proudly into the distance, known for her fiery and stubborn disposition. On the back, the Celtic circle knot represents both unity and infinity, symbolizing the eternal bond between Isolde and Tristan.
Sterling silver, 18k gold, hand-carved ivory, Chinese turqouise, and Australian opal.
Price: $1,100
Peeking her head out of the lush garden of flowers entwined in her hair, this Flower Sprite smiles a delighted and mischievous grin. Fairies, or sprites, embody tiny parts of the spirit of nature and are attracted to beautiful gardens and wild, untamed places. Often invisible to adults, fairies will appear to the innocent and light of heart, and children see them all the time. This particular sprite loves flowers, and the lilies of the valley tangled in her hair symbolize her attributes of re-growth and rebirth.
Sterling Silver, 18k gold, Burro Creek jasper, hand-carved ivory from recycled piano keys, labradorite, and freshwater pearls.
Size 1 3/4" x 1 3/4"
Price: $1,900
"There is no question that they existed... We have records of conversations between fairies and the people on this island."
-Sir Iain Noble, from the Isle of Skye
The realms of the Fairyworld have long been thought to border just over the edges of our own world: overlapping within sacred groves, stone circles, and forests, and often seen by children and the innocent of heart. The world of the Fairies is present in the folklore of almost every culture, and the Fey present many different sides: dangerous beauty, lighthearted mischief, joy and inspiration, fear and laughter, malice and love. Fairies have been known to switch children in their cradles, kidnap maidens into their own realm, and save infants from death. Despite a dual-sided nature, Fairies most certainly represent the ability to see things beyond the mundane world. In the words of the immortal poet William Shakespeare, "There are on Earth more things than those that can be perceived by imagination." Always intrigued by the Fey, Shakespeare wrote the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which features the Queen of the Fairies, Titania. It is she who is pictured on the front of this pendant, smiling unfathomably at the viewer while two Fairies frolic in her hair. The necklace is 10" long.
Kelly Morgen
Kelly uses a variety of precious metals, natural cabochons, gemstones and ivory from recycled piano keys to create necklaces that celebrate the Divine Feminine. Each piece of her jewelry is designed by the artist and is completely hand-crafted. The goddess necklaces tell a story chosen from mythologies from around the world, ranging from the oceans of the Caribbean to the mountains of China. As an artist, Kelly Morgen aims to draw out the inner goddess in every woman. [more]
