Born at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (known to history as Marie Antoinette), was born an Archduchess of Austria and later became Queen of France and Navarre. At fourteen, she was married to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, the future Louis XVI and is perhaps best remembered for her legendary (and, some modern historians say, exaggerated) excesses and for her death: she was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793 for the crime of treason although no evidence of such was proven. Directly inspired by a portrait of Marie Antoinette done up by Martin van Meytens in 1767-1768 when the lovely lady was a mere 12 years old, La Dauphine d'Viennois is the epitome of decadence. Undoubtedly, the piece de resistancehere would be that stunning Amethyst Stalactite Focal which measures 62mm long. Yes, you read it right. A 62mm slice of ravishing au naturel beauty. Rich processions of clusters come next, showcasing combinations of Polished Pink Amethyst Briolettes with Rare Purple Garnet Briolettes and Brazilian Amethyst Briolettes. Adding volume within these are the tiniest Labradorite Rondelles (each measuring a wee 1.5mm on average) and over a hundred Silver Pearls with sprinklings of larger Prasiolite Rondelles for just a sliver of colour. Peeking through too are Polished Brazilian Amethyst Rounds with incredible baroque-esque vivacity coming from sporadic placements of brilliantly faceted Mystic Topaz Rounds. Every here and there, you'll see glimpses of Rare Grey Moonstone Nuggets. Now, no Eclettica piece would be complete without a wire-wrapped bit, would it? :) In La Dauphine d'Viennois, this element manifests itself within the pair of connectors linking everything together. These intricate components are completely 3D - in both sight and composition. The first oval-shaped layer has been heavily oxidised to be consistent with the overall look and feel. Atop this, a second layer of swirls and curls has been added but, for a change, left unoxidised for maximum visual impact. The third and final layer is a tad different, i.e., layers of chains criss-crossing from one end of each connector to the other, thus mimicking Marie Antoinette's (unseen) corset strings (ahem) and embellished with final touches of more Polished Brazilian Amethyst Rounds. Closure is kept sleek and chic with a generously-sized Lobster Claw Clasp featuring a final Polished Pink Amethyst Briolette as well as plush Labradorite Briolette as dangly charms. Truly a labour of love.

A large claw from a Colorado Black bear is permanently mounted in a custom made Sterling silver cap. The solid Sterling cap was handcrafted especially for this impressive claw. The Pendant hangs from a linked Sterling silver chain that measures over 12” when doubled over (25” in circumference). The claw belonged to a big male bear, and it measures nearly 1 ?” long, and ?” wide at its base! Hanging from the vintage silver chain are two slightly different feather trinkets that are both silver-plated, and a simple toggle clasp is used as the connector.