IMPORTANT: This jewel is limited and we are unsure if they'll be available again in the future. We recommend Express Shipping with signature required upon delivery to best ensure it arrives safely in your hands. Please note : You must either leave your ring size in the notes section while going through the check out process or reach out to us via email ~ [email protected] ~ after placing your order to confirm your ring size. We cannot begin creating your ring until your ring size is confirmed. Because these stones are limited, we are not able to accommodate any requests for specific stone preferences. The Witch’s familiar is a phenomena that is distinctly a British import; called ‘Imps’ by Witch-finders and usually small animals such as ferrets, hares, and the ubiquitous cat, often black but not restricted as such: in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth we read of a brindled cat mewling significantly and there is also the gray ‘Grimalkin’ faery cat of Scottish witch lore. The familiar could also be a bird, such as the blackbirds of the crow or raven, or amphibians: toads were historically associated with witches and still are today. However, none are as well known in the collective imagination as the cat, often seen beside the witch of fairytale, folklore and horror alike. Depicted riding astride the witch on her broomstick or nearby her while she concocts potions in her cauldron, these fantastical depictions are not far from what accusers in the witch trials believed familiars were capable of: assisting the witch in all manner of malefic endeavors such as riding to the Sabbath on or as her familiar, using her familiar to curse or hex her neighbors or undertake other tasks for the witch in her stead. In many cases, women, often women who were anti-social loners, elderly and living alone, or otherwise occupying the fringes of society in some way, were more apt to keep small animals for companionship. This unfortunately marked “innocent” women as witches during the witchcraze that swept Europe and parts of the US simply for being devoted cat people, as many people are today, for similar reasons. Whether or not people keep cats today for use as vessels for familiar spirits, Cats have a long history of being revered as powerful creatures. In ancient Egypt, the cat was worshipped as a Goddess, most famously in the form of Bastet ( or Bast ) in the prosperous and sacred city of Bubastis (now known as Tell Basta ). There, the lives of cats, as elsewhere in Egypt, were protected and their deaths were honored by mummification. There are immense cat cemeteries there, a mixture of beloved pets as well as possible sacrifices to the goddess Bastet, highlighting the importance of the creature to both the everyday lives and the religious practices of the ancient peoples of Egypt from which so much culture stems. Diana, Roman Goddess of the hunt is also associated with cats and their lunar aspects. While this is not one of her primary animals, the famous depiction of her at Ephesus shows her with cats. Due to their nighttime proclivities, and especially the way their eyes grow larger and luminescent, cats have long been associated with the moon. Their ability to see in the dark links them to the Spirit world and the realms of the hidden. Despite these magical connotations, most of us love cats for their companionship, fickle and tender. *Details* : - 18 mm from top to bottom - 23 mm wide- Sits 8 mm off of the finger- Solid Sterling Silver - Hand oxidized to achieve our favorite shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath - Set with one 7.5 mm fine cut round and one 8x13 mm pear cut garnet stone Garnet: Garnet is seemingly named for a few things, the most interesting and well known being that of the Pomegranate, named for either its glowing red color or its relational look to the seeds within when polished. This has tied it to the myth of the Goddess Persephone in some of its lore, who is as inseparable to the Pomegranate and its fateful seeds as Eve is to the apple of Eden. This association, admittedly, is what first drew me to Garnet, but its long and storied history, spanning many cultures and parts of the world is as fascinating as just about any other gemstone of my acquaintance. I also fell for its uncanny beauty, which like a glowing ember one can wear on the skin, appears alive like fire does. As an ancient gemstone, the Egyptians knew of its power and beauty, which seems to be the seal of magical authenticity on the stone as it was found not only amongst grave goods but also within the settings of talismans wrapped in the layers of mummies to protect the body on its journey to the afterlife. I imagine it being present with its wearer before the weighing of the heart, as it’s a stone closely aligned with the heart ( akin in this way, to Rose Quartz. ) Created under extreme pressure and temperatures in the darkness of the subterranean realms, Garnet persists and thrives under these difficult circumstances - suggesting strength and personal resiliency. It’s also, like the Phoenix, associated with fire and its transformative properties, rising from extremely high temperatures. It’s considered to be a stone of creativity, as it’s ‘blood’ colored and associated with fire and the heart, ( as mentioned above) suggesting a quickening of the blood, a call to creative action, passion. This passion also extends to both romantic and platonic relationships, the stone was given to strengthen bonds between friends and lovers due to its association with the Persephone myth in a strange nod to how Pomegranate seeds kept Persephone bond to the Underworld for part of the year/ being returned to the Upper realms for Spring/Summer, ( this also made it a traveler’s stone) as well as for its color being similar to heart’s blood. Another interesting bit : in the Medieval Ages it was considered to ward off Melancholy and also, interestingly, to be the material that Dragon’s eyes were made of. All in all, Garnet is a wildly magical and highly potent stone, beautiful, ancient and intense; a personal raging fire to keep close- to remind you that you belong to the land of the living. To quicken the blood when feeling otherwise. This jewel is hand cut and therefore may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. It has not been fabricated by a machine rather it hand cut and therefore might not be uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stone and the cut. ***IMPORTANT*** This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6 - 8 weeks for creation before shipping. Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE. If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via [email protected]
