Saturn Agate Pendant on Handmade Toggle Chain

This one of a kind Saturn banded agate necklace pairs soft earth tones and natural horizontal banding with a completely handmade Argentium sterling silver chain.

• Materials: Saturn banded agate from Brazil and solid Argentium sterling silver
• Pendant size: Approx. 0.91" wide x 1.34" tall (23 mm x 34 mm), including bail
• Chain length: 16", measuring approximately 17" including toggle
• Chain: Handmade from half round Argentium sterling silver wire with individually welded and formed links
• Closure: Handmade heavyweight toggle clasp
• Setting: Solid sterling silver bezel with open back
• Weight: 24 grams
• Finish: Soft polished shine
• Silver hallmark: 940 on toggle
• Pendant does not come on and off the chain
• One of a kind + ready to ship

I found this Saturn banded agate from Brazil on one of our gemstone buying trips to Tucson. There was an entire display of this unusual agate, including large specimens showing all of its incredible natural banding and colors. I brought several stones home and have held onto them for a few years, waiting until I knew exactly what I wanted them to be.

This particular stone is so cool because it almost looks like a tiny painting. It has horizontal bands of green, gray, soft pink, pale green and white running across a tall rectangular shape. The bands remind me of a horizon line or a little foggy landscape. I love muted, soft earth tones, and this stone has so many of them. At first glance the colors are subtle and blend beautifully with silver, but when you look closely, there are so many different tones running through it.

I did not want to add a lot of design elements to this piece. Instead, I focused on the craftsmanship and let the stone take center stage. I made the setting a little heavier and more substantial, with a solid bezel framing the stone. I left the back completely open because the agate is beautiful from both sides and I did not want to cover it. I also kept the bail very minimal, creating a simple horizontal rectangular shape that quietly repeats the geometry of the stone.

A thin chain did not feel right with this pendant, so I made the entire chain by hand from half round Argentium sterling silver wire. I kept the links small because I love the tight, substantial look that creates. Each link was individually connected, permanently welded closed and then hand formed into an elongated oval with straighter sides.

I especially love all of the simple repeating shapes in this necklace. The horizontal bands in the agate, the rectangular stone and bail, and the elongated links in the chain all subtly play off one another without making the piece feel overly designed.

I finished the chain with a substantial handmade toggle clasp. The entire necklace has a soft polished shine that works beautifully with the muted colors in the stone. It is simple and easy to wear, but the closer you look, the more you notice the unusual agate and all of the handmade details in the chain and setting.