Rose Quartz Skull intaglio necklace - a hand-carved skull necklace in pale pink rose quartz, the skull cut into an oval in a silver bezel, on a rolo chain
Rose Quartz Skull intaglio necklace - a hand-carved skull necklace in pale pink rose quartz, the skull cut into an oval in a silver bezel, on a rolo chain Rose Quartz Skull intaglio necklace lying at an angle on black, the skull cut into the pale pink rose quartz oval, the rolo chain trailing to the top right Rose Quartz Skull intaglio necklace laid out in full on black, the oval rose quartz pendant at the base of the chain and the clasp at the top Rose Quartz Skull intaglio necklace second from the left of five pieces in a wooden box on velvet, beside a black onyx skeleton intaglio and a gold-toned bird intaglio
£240.00

This was an experimental piece for me, for two reasons:

The dome of this cabochon is higher than the stones I usually reverse-carve into. The higher the dome, the smaller the design needs to be, as the arc has a magnifying effect on the underside that can blow out a design, so it needs to be compact with a significant border. In this case, my carving space was reduced to 3mm x 4mm.

The challenge to this new stone was the fact that rose quartz naturally has some smoky inclusions. Had I not picked this gem out in person, I don't think I would have chanced my luck, as rose quartz can sometimes verge on opaque and any design on the underside risks being lost.

As such, you need to turn the stone - it's best viewed in-movement, so see beyond the haze. I'm happy with the effect and the pink gem is a lovely, gentle hue. 

See more stone carvings

As with my wax work, all stone carving is done by me in my Newcastle upon Tyne studio in the UK. I use diamond-coated discs and burrs, and the process gives me the most colourful headache.

This piece is completely one-of-a-kind.

Details:

  • Material: 925 Sterling Silver and rose quartz

  • Pendant Dimensions: Approx. 1.6 cm tall x 1.1 cm wide (0.6″ x 0.4″)

  • Chain: 46cm (18″) sterling silver belcher chain

  • Origin: Handcrafted and produced in the UK 

Made in England