one of a kind etched bullet necklace with dried flowers

This one-of-a-kind necklace features a recycled bullet casing, which was sourced from a private shooting area in the woods. This area is littered with bullet casings of all shapes and sizes and trash. I'm doing my part to clean up the Earth and make beautiful jewelry out of it! I hand-etched the bullet with an intricate mandala design, then hand-cut a small round window on the front and inserted a clear vial inside. This design features dried flowers inside. Finished with a faceted amethyst point. Full pendant measures approximately 2.5 inches in length and is very lightweight. Finished with a 27-inch long brass chain. Amethyst has been highly esteemed throughout the ages for its stunning beauty and legendary powers to stimulate, and soothe, the mind and emotions. It is a semi-precious stone in today’s classifications, but to the ancients it was a “Gem of Fire,” a Precious Stone worth, at times in history, as much as a Diamond. The name Amethyst derives from the Greek word ametusthos, meaning “not intoxicated,” and comes from an ancient legend. The wine god Bacchus, angry over an insult and determined to avenge himself decreed the first person he should meet would be devoured by his tigers. The unfortunate mortal happened to be a beautiful maiden named Amethyst on her way to worship at the shrine of Diana. As the ferocious beasts sprang, she sought the protection of the goddess and was saved by being turned into a clear, white crystal. Bacchus, regretting his cruelty, poured the juice of his grapes over the stone as an offering, giving the gem its lovely purple hue. Throughout history the special virtue of Amethyst has been that of preventing drunkenness and overindulgence. Ancient Greeks and Romans routinely studded their goblets with Amethyst believing wine drunk from an Amethyst cup was powerless to intoxicate, and a stone worn on the body, especially at the navel, had a sobering effect, not only for inebriation but in over-zealousness in passion. Catholic bishops also wore Amethyst in a ring to protect from mystical intoxication. Kissing the ring kept others from similar mystical intoxication and kept them grounded in spiritual thought. It carries the energy of fire and passion, creativity and spirituality, yet bears the logic of temperance and sobriety.