Fossil Coral Pendant Necklace in Sterling Silver
The patterns in this fossil coral are extraordinary. Rich golden yellow, honey, amber, and warm reddish-brown spread across the stone in a series of intricate, radiating structures. Look closely and you'll see hundreds of tiny geometric cells, arranged in sweeping fans that intersect and overlap. It's almost architectural in its complexity, and the polished surface brings out all those beautiful variations in color.
I wanted the silverwork to have just as much character as the stone, so I surrounded it with an elongated, pointed oval frame, filled with clusters of silver granules in different sizes. The open spaces between the granules give the design an airy quality despite the amount of detail, while the darkened recesses create a beautiful contrast against the polished silver. The shape of the stone echoes the outer frame, giving the whole pendant a pleasing symmetry. On the reverse, the silver backing has its own deeply textured pattern.
Fossil coral is the preserved remains of ancient coral colonies, formed when the original skeletal material was gradually replaced by silica-rich minerals over millions of years. Those intricate patterns are the actual structures of the ancient coral, often appearing as tiny flowers, radiating fans, or elaborate networks of geometric shapes depending on how the material is cut. This particular specimen has a wonderfully complex arrangement of fanlike structures, making it as fascinating to examine up close as it is beautiful to wear.
✧ Stone: Natural fossil coral
✧ Pendant Size: Approximately 60 × 27 mm
✧ Metal: Sterling silver and fine silver
✧ Details: Open sterling silver framework with decorative silver granulation, textured border, and patterned silver reverse
✧ Chain: Sterling silver oval-link chain, patinaed and polished
✧ Length: Adjustable from 18 to 20 inches with a 2-inch sterling silver extension chain
✧ Closure: Sterling silver lobster claw clasp with extension chain
One-of-a-kind and made with care in my studio.
