Sidewinder Earrings with Baja Turquoise 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're topped with two gorgeous, olive green pieces of Baja turquoise. Baja is one of my very favorite tuquoises because of the sky/earth colors it presents. The turquoise is perfectly accented with faceted peridot, citrine, orange aventurine 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 Baja turquoise:
Mined in the Evans District, in Central Baja, California, Baja turquoise is known for it’s blues, greens and earthy colors. The matrix is a fine sepia color. Much of it is similar to the (famous) older #8 turquoise from Nevada. The soft blues and deep greens, combined with the pattern of the coppery matrix are reminiscent of the desert and make this a spectacular turquoise for jewelry.
 
+About peridot:
Peridot is a rare, yellow/olive-green, gem quality variety of the gemstone olivine. It forms deep within the Earth's mantle and is brought to the surface by volcanoes. It was known, in Hawaii, to symbolize Pele's tears, Pele being the volcano godess of fire. Peridot is the only gemstone that is formed in only one color and is the birthstone for August.
 
+About aventurine:
Aventurine is a form of quartz and is characterized by it's translucency and inclusions which can give it a shimmering quality. It presents in green, blue, yellow, orange, brown and grey.
 
+ 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.