Handcut Antique 68½ct Tiger’s-Eye Ancient Near East “Evil Eye” Sorcery Talisman

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Seller: Top-Rated Seller ancientgifts ✉️ (5,440) 100%, Location: Lummi Island, Washington, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 122511016005 Handcut Antique 68½ct Tiger’s-Eye Ancient Near East “Evil Eye” Sorcery Talisman.

Two Genuine, Natural, Hand Crafted/Polished Antique Indian Tiger’s-Eye Semi-Precious Gemstones. Mounted into contemporary high quality 14kt gold fill French hooks.

Two antique round shaped hand crafted gemstones, each about 17mm in “diameter”, each about 34 carats in weight, mounted onto High Quality Contemporary 14kt Gold Fill French Hooks.

NOTE: 14kt solid gold settings and other setting styles (studs, lever backs, euro clicks, kidney wires, ball/stud dangles, fancy dangles, etc., are available upon request, as are sterling silver settings.

NOTE: If you would like only the gemstones, and not the settings, we can dismount the gemstones and offer you the gemstones without the settings. Just let us know, and yes, we’ll discount the price by the cost of the settings.

DETAIL: Tiger’s-eye was worn as a talisman in the Near East as protection against the “evil eye”. There was an ancient belief that some evil sorcerers or witches had the ability to transmit evil with just a glance. Certain items of personal adornment (amulets, talismans, etc.) were thought to protect the wearer from the "evil eye" by the proviso of an always watchful open eye and tiger’s eye was just that, an always open and watchful “eye”. Ancient shamans and mystics used tiger’s-eye amulets as psychic protection (against evil spirits) and as an aid to achieving clarity. Tiger’s-eye was not only worn to enable “clear vision”, but also to drive off phantoms and shades of the dead. Worn as a talisman it was believed to protect against curses and enchantments (“spells”), and to protect against illness as well. The Assyrians (neighbors to the Babylonians) carved the tiger's eye into cylinders which were covered with depictions of mythic creatures and names of gods, and the cylinders were then worn about the neck as charms for protection.

Celebrating this cultural legacy here are two elegant, richly variegated gold to brown genuine tigerseye semi-precious gemstones from India – the traditional source of tigers eye for millennia. These are gorgeous, high quality semi-precious gemstones with very distinct chatoyancy (“cat's-eye”). They were handcrafted in the 1950’s in Bombay, India into beautiful finished gemstones and then hand drilled. The fabled land of India has been famous for centuries for its production of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, topaz, aquamarine, amethyst, and other precious and semi-precious gemstones. These premium quality genuine Indian Tiger's-Eye gemstones are from the same source of those which were traded throughout the ancient world for thousands of years.

The earring settings are of contemporary origin. They are high quality settings manufactured by one of the USA’s leading semi-custom mount producers. They are constructed of 14kt gold fill . They are not cheap, gold electroplated earrings. They are of genuine 14kt gold fill , designed to last a lifetime. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout. We can reset into 14kt solid gold (or sterling silver) upon request, and there are also many other setting styles available upon request including euro clicks, lever backs, fancy stud dangles, kidney wires, ball/stud dangles, etc.

As might be expected under magnification the gemstones show the unmistakable characteristics of having been hand crafted. The coarseness of the handcrafted finish is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment, or to detract from the value of a gemstone. These characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, most serious collectors consider such gemstones more desirable, possessed of greater character and uniqueness when compared to today's cookie-cutter mass-produced machine-cut and finished gemstones. Unlike today’s computer controlled machine produced gemstones that approach flawlessness in a perfect finish, the cut and finish of a handcrafted gemstone such as these are the cultural legacy passed onwards by artisans who lived centuries ago. Such hand-crafted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machined gemstones.

Handcrafted though they may be the gemstones have great luster and character, but that is not to imply that they are absolutely flawless. True, the blemishes they possess are virtually invisible to the naked eye, and to the view of the casual admirer the gemstones are indeed seemingly without blemish. However in the accompanying photo enlargements you might be able to discern a few minute blemishes as well as occasional irregularities in the cut and finish. Of course the same may said about almost any gemstone of natural origin. An absolutely flawless gemstone simply is not the rule in nature. Most absolutely flawless gemstones will upon close examination be revealed to be synthetic. Furthermore these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that in times past the mining techniques even possible, let alone in practice, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today.

Keep in mind that even in the fairly recent past mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. For these reasons antique gemstone must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones mined from deep beneath the earth's surface were simply not accessible in times past, or at least, only rarely so. But for most, the unique nature and character of these handcrafted gemstones more than makes up for the blemishes found within the gemstones, as well as the cutting and finishing irregularities common to handcrafted gemstones, all of which are by and large are only visible under magnification.

HISTORY OF TIGER’S-EYE: Tiger's-eye has been enormously popular in various Asian cultures for thousands of years. Cabochon cut stones of this variety show “chatoyancy” (a small ray of light on the surface) that resembles the feline eye of a tiger. The ancient source for Tiger’s eye was India, where it was a very important trade good, and was traded throughout the ancient Orient and into the Mediterranean. It was used as a very important healing stone by both the ancient Egyptians as well as the Greeks. Many ancient Egyptian statues of their various gods have been found with eyes made from tiger’s-eye. According to ancient legends, tiger’s-eye enabled the wearer to be “all seeing”, even to the point of being able to see through walls, enabling one to observe what was happening in another room.

Tiger’s-eye was not only worn to enable “clear vision”, but also to drive off phantoms and shades of the dead. It was often carried by nighttime travelers for these purposes, as well as to help them see in the dark. Worn as a talisman it was believed to protect against curses and enchantments (“spells”), and to protect against illness as well. The ancient Egyptians also believed that tiger’s-eye would bring good fortune to the wearer. Tiger’s-eye was also quite popular in the ancient Middle East. The Assyrians (neighbors to the Babylonians) carved tiger's-eye into cylinders which were covered with depictions of mythic creatures and names of gods. These cylinders were then worn about the neck as charms for protection.

Tiger’s-eye was also worn in the Near East as protection against the “evil eye”. There was an ancient belief that some evil sorcerers or witches had the ability to transmit evil with just a glance. Certain items of personal adornment (amulets, talismans, etc.) were thought to protect the wearer from the "evil eye" by the proviso of an always watchful open eye and tiger’s-eye was just that, an always open and watchful “eye”. A thousand years later Roman soldiers carried tiger’s-eye, often with the forms of lions and hawks carved into the gemstone, believing that it gave them an advantage over their opponents in combat, inspiring courage and providing protection as well.

In much of ancient Africa tiger’s-eye was considered to be “the” gemstone of royalty. It was believed that an amulet of tiger’s-eye would grow heavier in presence of predators, providing advance warning of danger to the wearer. Tiger’s-eye is a form of chalcedony quartz which contains brown iron trace elements which produces its golden-yellow color. Tiger’s-eye “began life” as a form of natural asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral fiber, a form of hydrous magnesium silicate. Ancient civilizations recognized asbestos’s resistance to fire. The name is derived from its historical use in lamp wicks. Ancient Egyptians used asbestos for burial cloths to protect the dead during their journey to the afterlife.

During volcanic events, the fibrous asbestos is replaced by iron-bearing quartz called limonite. This is what creates the dazzling golden luminous eye of the tiger that provides such elegant beauty in tiger eye stone. Throughout the history of the ancient world, gemstones were believed capable of curing illness, possessed of valuable metaphysical properties, and to provide protection. Found in Egypt dated 1500 B. C., the "Papyrus Ebers" offered one of most complete therapeutic manuscripts containing prescriptions using gemstones and minerals. Gemstones were not only valued for their medicinal and protective properties, but also for educational and spiritual enhancement.

In the ancient world many cultures believed that wearing tiger's-eye was beneficial for health and spiritual well being. It was used by ancient shamans and mystics as a psychic protection (against evil spirits) and as an aid to achieving clarity. In the Medieval World and into the Renaissance wearing a talisman of tiger’s-eye was believed to enhance business fortunes, and that tiger’s eye could bestow upon the wearer the strength to persevere and overcome fatigue or discouragement. Wearing tiger’s-eye was also believed during the Renaissance to make the wearer irresistible to the opposite sex, overcoming lethargy and boosting the wearer’s sex drive.

Modern practitioners attribute to tiger’s-eye the ability to relieve high blood pressure, and beneficial to those who suffer from skin diseases, bronchial asthma, rheumatic heart disease, kidney disease, and to aid hypochondriacs. It is also claimed to be a “stone of balance”, useful to mediators and diplomats, as it is claimed that tiger’s eye helps the wearer see both sides of an argument and make detached, logical judgments. Tiger’s-eye is also said to increase confidence, especially when speaking in public. Another benefit ascribed to the stone is that it enables the wearer to calm and center themselves when they feel scattered and unorganized. Further that the wearing the stone will enhance integrity, willpower, and courage. It is also claimed that meditation with the stone can help the wearer find the “path of power” that lies between polarities, as well as enhance visualization skills, psychic vision and insights.

Domestic shipping (insured first class mail) is included in the price shown. Domestic shipping also includes USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site ). Canadian shipments are an extra $14.99 for Insured Air Mail; International shipments are an extra $18.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). ADDITIONAL PURCHASES do receive a VERY LARGE discount, typically about $5 per item so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers.

We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments, which is INCLUDED in our price. International tracking is at additional cost. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with. If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price (less our original shipping costs).

We travel to Russia each year seeking antique gemstones and jewelry from one of the globe’s most prolific gemstone producing and cutting centers, the area between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, Russia. From all corners of Siberia, as well as from India, Ceylon, Burma and Siam, gemstones have for centuries gone to Yekaterinburg where they have been cut and incorporated into the fabulous jewelry for which the Czars and the royal families of Europe were famous for. My wife grew up and received a university education in the Southern Urals of Russia, just a few hours away from the mountains of Siberia, where alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset.

Before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, we try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. We believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with us that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today.

Our interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. We have a number of “helpers” (family members, friends, and colleagues) in Russia and in India who act as eyes and ears for us year-round, and in reciprocity we donate a portion of our revenues to support educational institutions in Russia and India. Occasionally while in Russia, India, Siam, and Ceylon we will also find such good buys on unique contemporary gemstones and jewelry that we will purchase a few pieces to offer to our customers here in America. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. We can set most any antique gemstone you purchase from us in your choice of styles and metals ranging from rings to pendants to earrings and bracelets; in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, and 14kt gold fill. When you purchase from us, you can count on quick shipping and careful, secure packaging. We would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from us. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."

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  • Material: Gemstone
  • Gemstone: Tiger's Eye
  • Jewelry: Earrings

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