Mother of Pearl is the common name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals that are secreted by oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells. William Henry uses premium mother of pearl material sourced directly from suppliers in Australia, selected for maximum color and figure. Most of our hand-carved mother of pearl is created in Bali by Lee Downey, who also works on most of our carved silver pieces.
Topaz is a rare, extremely hard gemstone with an exceptionally wide color range that, besides brown, includes various tones and saturations of blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple.
The ancient Greeks believed that topaz gave them strength. In Europe during the Renaissance (the period from the 1300s to the 1600s) people thought that topaz could break magic spells and dispel anger. For centuries, many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence.
Blazing red topaz is an enduring symbol of love and affection; it brings long-lasting friendship and ensures the fidelity of the one you love. When worn it is said to relieve negative emotions and bring friendship.
Early Egyptians viewed topaz as the "gem of the sun " believing that the sun god Ra bestowed it with a golden glow..
This material obtained by immersing a traditional damascus billet it in an acid solution. The process creates a striking visual contrast by enhancing the components that are more susceptible to the etching of the acid.
