About this Product
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here! This necklace celebrates what is arguably the most important of Medieval poems: Dante's "Inferno"! Take a trip through the 9 circles of Hell with us. As we unlock the golden chain that binds the gates of Hell, be careful to not make eye contact with the seraphim that guard it. The purest warriors of Heaven, they may read your sins and carry you bodily down to the circle they deem appropriate (painted glass, goldtone components).
Once through the gates we come to the first circle: "Limbo", where the virtuous souls who died without knowing Christ reside, along with infants who died without being baptized. Within sight of Heaven but forever shut out, this tier is less about outright torment and more about bleak despair (gray glass bicones).
The next circle is "Lust", a dark plane where those who let their lust and adultery overwhelm them have the memory of their indiscretions blasted away by an eternal wind (frosted white glass rondels, pink & grey glass barrels, red glass hearts).
The third circle is "Gluttony", where those whose primary sin is overindulgence go. It's a stormy place characterized by hail and freezing rain, guarded over by Cerberus (milky white glass rondels, light blue glass teardrops, 3 silvertone charms).
After Gluttony comes "Greed", where both those who hoarded their money and those who squandered it reside, constantly squabbling over treasures none of them can keep (alternating goldtone & silvertone stardust spacers, glass bicones, brass coin & jewel pendant).
The next circle is "Anger", where wrathful souls spend eternity fighting on the River Styx. Sounds like an eternity of piracy to me (blue & grey glass barrels, metallic black glass rounds, 2 silvertone charms).
The 6th circle is "Heresy", where those who reject religious and political norms are sent to be entombed in flaming crypts (wood coffin beads, red, orange, & yellow glass crackles, red glass rondels).
After Heresy comes "Violence", which is broken into 3 sections. The first section is for those who were violent against people and property, a place of warlords, murderers, and vandals (red glass rounds & dyed howlite skulls). The next section is where those who commit violence against themselves, especially those who commit suicide, are turned into trees and attacked by harpies (red glass rounds & green glass trees). Last comes a place of burning sand for those who were violent against God and nature, also known as the blasphemers (yellow, yellow & red, and cat's-eye seed beads).
The 8th circle is "Fraud", which is divided into 10 ditches where different types of willful fraudsters experience different punishments. In the jewelry business, the worst kind of fraudsters are the counterfeiters who make glass & plastic beads that are often nearly-identical to their genuine gemstone & pearl counterparts (plastic rondels, goldtone & silvertone plastic drops, plastic "ivory" beads).
Finally we arrive at the 9th circle: "Treachery", a frozen plane where those who betray their families, guests, nations, and lords are encased in ice (clear glass crackles, aventurine rectangles). And at the center is the one whose wingbeats chill the entire circle, the original traitor: Satan himself. His feet may be buried in ice, but watch out for his wings, claws, and falling bits as he gnaws on the worst traitors in history. As Lucifer, he was once the brightest light in the Heavenly Host, but now that light is all but gone (brown lampwork glass oval, grey crackle glass round, white cat's-eye seed bead, silvertone components).
Thank you for taking the 9 Circles of Hell tour. Please watch your step as you take the stairs by Satan's feet through the center of the earth. Our agent will meet you on the other side to conduct you on the next stage of your tour: Purgatory!
Relic report: the brass coin pendant featured in Greed came to us in a box of random jewelry & components we found at a flea market. It was the only one in the box, and we haven't seen anything like it since. There is a spot of verdigris (copper oxide) on the bottom-left quadrant of the coin. We decided to not clean it off to represent those things that seem like treasures but are ultimately worthless.
Lengths
Clasp to Limbo: 18"
Center of Limbo to center of Treachery: 9"
Satan: 2.25"
Angelic Relics
Meet the Maker
Beth Ann Borth, Owner & Lead Designer
My jewelry making journey started with making a “grandkids” birthstone necklace for my mom in ‘09. Then came angel birthstone necklaces for my sister and sisters-in-law. The odd bracelet here, a couple pairs of earrings there. In 2017 my younger son, Stephen, convinced me to try to make it a business. He jumped in making gemstone jewelry, and my older son, Andrew, followed weaving chainmail rings. And so Angelic Relics & Modern Treasures was born. The “relics” portion of our name comes from the fact we like to take broken jewelry, weird estate pieces, or things that were never meant to be jewelry, and turn them into unique new jewelry pieces. We had a good couple years run, but pandemic schedules and Andrew striking out on his own meant we had to shelve the business. Schedules have finally shifted back, so we redesigned our logo, dropped the last half of our name, and launched a new online store. Thanks for checking us out!
How it’s Made
Materials used: glass, wood, plastic, silvertone components, goldtone components, aventurine, dyed howlite
What is aventurine?
Aventurine is a type of quartzite with a large number of flat inclusions that give it color and sparkle. Aventurine is most commonly greenish or bluish (from mica inclusions), but can also be brownish (goethite), yellowish or orangish (hematite). The glittering or shimmering effect from those inclusions is known as aventurescence.
What is howlite?
Howlite is a mineral that forms in irregular white lumps with a spiderweb of light gray or black veins. It's relatively soft and porous, which makes it an ideal material to carve and easy to dye. Howlite is most often dyed blue to resemble top-quality turquoise, but examples can be found dyed in every color imaginable. Natural howlite is sometimes sold as "white turquoise" or "white buffalo turquoise", but the two minerals are completely unrelated.
Designed by Stephen & Andrew
Shop Policies
Shipping: Spend $125+ and we'll refund your shipping fees.
Packaging: All products will be shipped in an organza gift bag. Cotton-filled gift boxes are also available under the "Gift Options" tab. Large orders or sets may need multiple bags/boxes.
Processing Time: In-stock items should be shipped within 1-2 days. One of our designers will contact you with estimated processing times for out-of-stock items, which may potentially take as much as 7-14 days to process before shipping.
Cancellations: Orders can be cancelled within 12 hours of being placed, no charge and no questions asked.
Return Policy: Contact us within 24 hours of delivery if the item was damaged in transit. Message us within 5 days for returns and ship back (with tracking code) within 14 days. Undamaged items must be in original packaging and condition. Buyer is responsible for return shipping costs. Refund will be processed after we receive the item. No returns or exchanges on custom designs.
Warrantee: We certify our workmanship to be sound and free of defects for 90 days from the date of arrival. If anything should break under normal wear-and-tear during this time, simply send it back to us and we'll repair it free of charge. Anything outside this policy will incur a small repair fee. A Guardian Angel protection plan can extend this to 1 year for an extra $5.
Care Instructions: All jewelry should be kept as clean and dry as possible. The best way to clean almost all jewelry is with mild soap on a soft toothbrush over a bowl of warm water, then gently dry with a soft cloth. Pieces with genuine pearls, coral, shells, or mother-of-pearl should not be exposed to most household chemicals, including (but not limited to): bleach, peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, drain cleaners, alcohol, most commercial jewelry cleaners, perfume, hairspray, & cosmetics. To clean these, simply wipe with a soft, damp cloth and allow to air dry.
Note: we cannot always guarantee provenance on items with "Relic" components. Angelic Relics is not responsible for potential allergic reactions these items may cause.
