Sidewinder Earrings with Dark Moon and Gemstones

Rattlesnakes are a long-standing feature of the wild west. Here in Wyoming, we know to listen for that rattle! These rattlers are hand forged, shaped and stamped. They hang from two earthy pieces of dark moon, cousin to turquoise. These pieces are in the shape of arrowheads and reminiscent of a rattler's head. They're perfectly accented with faceted zircon, serpentine and garnet. Double jump rings ensure stability and that the snakes face forward. Textured back because the back should be beautiful too! Approximately 3 1/4 inches from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the earring. All sterling, including ear wires are sterling and hand-stamped with a tiny star detail. The back has my maker's mark.
 
Small batch. All sterling. Beautiful stones. One-of-a-kind. Hand built in the heart of the West.
 
+About dark moon:
This striking stone is found in and around the turquoise mines of Hubei, China. It is considered a cousin to turquoise. It most frequently presents with a dark charcoal or black background matrix with splotches of dusty blue, gold, grey and green. It's also found with a grey or white matrix with swirling patterns of green, grey and blue. It's a beautiful and unusual stone that is reminiscent of far away galaxies.
 
+About zircon:
What is zircon? It's NOT cubic zirconia, the synthetic stone. Zircon is a beautiful, colorful gemstone that's high refractive index gives it flash and fire. It's found in white, orange, yellow, blue, red and green.
 
+ Details:
+ All pieces are slowly and carefully handmade, in my studio in Sheridan, Wyoming. Because of this, each piece is unique and may contain the slight imperfections that you would expect with a handcrafted item. Perfectly imperfect!
+Each piece is marked with my maker's mark. Earrings are sometimes difficult to mark because of the size and may or may not be marked (please see photos.)
+ As with all handmade jewelry, please be mindful to take care of it. It should not be worn in the shower, while cleaning, during strenuous activities such as sports, or in the water.
+ Sun, heat, lotions and chemicals can affect stones negatively. Clean silver (not stones) with a gentle polishing cloth, especially for jewelry (Sunshine polishing cloth is recommended and included with your purchase).
 
+About this collection:
The Sidewinder collection is inspired by the Wild West. Rattlesnakes are a well known feature of Wyoming and I've embellished them (perhaps making them more likeable!) with a mixture of turquoise and variscite, mixed with faceted gemstones. Rattlesnakes represent various things including, power, divine retribution, spiritual ancestors, divine messengers, animosity (think "don't tread on me"), bringers of rain, and water.