Elegant New Zealand Black Argillite and Sterling Silver Necklace
Handcrafted Black Argillite (Pakohe) cabochon set in sterling silver with a textured, notched finish. The silver and black, dark on light, is dramatic and versatile – it goes with everything. Hung on a sterling silver snake chain with silver, spring ring clasp.
Pendant measures 3.4cm (1.3 inches) diameter.
Sterling Silver Chain measures 44cm (17.3 inches).
Created by Nelson artist, Ian Longley, as part of his Concepts in Stone collection. Ian has been making jewellery for over 30 years and the main focus of his work is in using New Zealand stone, jade, argillite, jasper, agate etc. He is very inspired by the natural beauty that exists in stone, creating pieces that allow the inherent qualities of the stone to shine forth.
About Argillite
Argillite (Pakohe) is a sedimentary rock found within Nelson's mineral belt and comprises part of the basement rock of New Zealand. As the rock is formed it has undergone extreme pressure from tectonic movement over considerable time (some Argillite is over 300 million years old). Argillite is found in various shades of black and grey, but ours is a deep black and when polished looks like Jet.
In early times, local Maori quarried for it. Very much like Pounamu, Argillite (Pakohe) was traditionally used to make weapons, tools and adornment. It was then traded into the lower North Island and pieces have been found throughout New Zealand. The use of Pakohe faded with the introduction of metal tools by early European explorers.