Turquoise is a powerful ritual material in Himalayan cultures, representing the clear blue of the sky. It is sometimes used as a gift to one’s betrothed, and the color is said to stay true as long as the lover’s affection does. This modern interpretation of a classic design features vibrant turquoise inlaid in sterling silver. Handmade in Nepal by members of the Shakya clan, descendants of an ancient culture that was traditionally known for its metalwork and whose capital was in present-day Nepal.

Handcrafted In Nepal. 1"L.

Believed to bestow the wearer with courage, luck, health, and protection, turquoise has been used in jewelry making for millennia by cultures as diverse as the Navajo, ancient Egyptians, and Tibetans. Turquoise can range in color from light yellow-green to dark blue, and usually contains turquoise matrix, the dark veins of other minerals with which it developed. It figures in the creation myth of the Anasazi Indians, who tell that the tribe first entered the world through the mouth of a New Mexico cave that is now a turquoise mine. In Tibet, the sky is called "the turquoise of heaven," and both men and women value jewelry featuring the gem in sky blue hues. Turquoise is sometimes given as a love token to one's betrothed, because its color is said to remain pure as long as the affection lasts.