Prong Set Agate Pendant on Iolite Wrapped Chain

This one of a kind Botswana agate pendant necklace pairs soft lavender and gray banding with natural iolite and handmade sterling silver for a unique, easy to wear piece.

• Materials: Botswana agate, natural iolite, and solid sterling silver
• Length: Adjustable from 18" to 20"
• Weight: 21 grams
• Pendant: Botswana agate with an open back, asymmetrical prong setting
• Pendant size: Approx. 22 mm x 38 mm
• Accent stones: 4 mm faceted iolite cubes
• Chain: Handmade sterling silver with wire wrapped iolite stations and heavy square wire links
• Closure: Sterling silver lobster claw clasp with extender chain
• One of a kind + ready to ship

I loved this Botswana agate as soon as I saw it. The stone has beautiful natural bands of soft lavender, purple and gray running through it, and I wanted the setting to feel a little funky rather than perfectly symmetrical. I created an asymmetrical prong setting around the stone and left the back completely open. The agate is polished on both sides, so you can actually turn the pendant around and wear the back facing forward. From that side, you see the same beautiful banding without the prongs, just the smooth silver wire framing the outside of the stone.

While I was working with some small faceted iolite cubes for another necklace, I realized how perfectly their color played off the Botswana agate. They looked like they were made for each other, so I decided to bring them into this piece while continuing the asymmetrical feel.

The pendant slides freely along a section of chain between two gemstone stations, so it is not locked perfectly into the center. As you move, the pendant and stations can shift slightly, giving the necklace a cool, funky movement. Each side has five iolite stones and two sections of heavier handmade silver links, but I arranged them differently on each side. The design is more about balance than perfect symmetry.

Each 4 mm faceted iolite cube is individually wire wrapped with a little silver spiral around the stone. I also made the heavier chain links from square sterling silver wire. I love the subtle connection between the square wire and the square gemstones. It is not necessarily something you notice immediately, but the square wire catches the light in a really interesting way and gives the chain some extra weight and presence.

The combination of the heavier silver links and gemstone stations also keeps this from feeling like a pendant simply placed on a thin chain. There is interest all the way around the necklace, and I love how the soft color of the iolite plays against the lavender, purple and gray tones in the Botswana agate.