Manes Sterling Silver Pendant with Ancient Mediterranean Limestone Maskette & Natural Blue Sapphire

This pendant is named after the Manes - the collective spirits of the ancestral dead in Roman belief, neither good nor evil, simply present. The souls of those who came before, hovering at the threshold between the living world and whatever lay beyond it. The stone at its center is an authentic ancient maskette carved from warm limestone, part of a group of small masks associated with Mediterranean folk, devotional, and apotropaic traditions of the medieval to early modern periods. The face is spare and expressive - pierced eyes, a modeled nose, an open mouth caught mid-breath - shaped to the natural form of the stone with the confidence of a maker who needed no excess. Such maskettes were carried and worn as personal protective objects across Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, the face itself the talisman. Sourced from a private collection, acquired on the art market in the late 20th century. Set in 925 sterling silver plated with black rhodium, with a natural oval-cut blue sapphire - its visible color banding a mark of authenticity, deep and layered, a stone long associated with clarity, truth, and the calming of restless spirits. This is a singular edition - handmade by the designer himself with no second copy in existence. For those who keep the ancestors close. PLEASE NOTE: This pendant is made with an authentic ancient artifact and natural gemstones that may exhibit cracks, scratches, and color irregularities - these are not flaws, but marks of authenticity and age. Gemstone colors may appear differently depending on lighting conditions; please refer to the model photo for the most accurate representation.