peridot and amethyst

Gemstones drift in a sterling bubble, bringing color to earrings by Mariana Llanes. The Mexican designer selects cool peridot and lilac amethyst to distinguish her handcrafted silver design.

.925 Sterling silver

Gemstones drift in a sterling bubble, bringing color to a necklace by Mariana Llanes. The Mexican designer selects cool peridot and lilac amethyst to distinguish her handcrafted silver design.

.925 Sterling silver

The roads to the famous silversmithing town of Taxco, Mexico are still narrow and winding in this day and age, but you can easily get there by car. Tucked away in these high mountains is the workshop of Ezequiel Tapia. The talented jeweler crafts this wrap ring set with an amethyst and a peridot. It winds around your finger with pebbled sterling silver textures.

Quetzalcoatl, the "feathered serpent" was a revered deity in Mesoamerican myth and legend. Mariana Llanes depicts him as a sterling silver dragon that take its own tail in his mouth. "When one becomes many, they awaken the dragon, and duality emerges — light and darkness, what is mine, yours and belonging to others," ths artist says. "Our differences, survival and the struggles for power.

"By biting its tail, the dragon places all its energy toward understanding who we are and why we're here. It speaks of overcoming one's own ego, of humility.

"For me, the open hands are a beautiful representation of human collaboration. They symbolize friendship, honesty, respect, solidarity and willingness.

"Black crosses flank the hands along with garnet droplets that represent the death and suffering caused by wars. This is in honor of everyone who has died because of war. And it's a prayer that their lives and their blood be seeds that germinate in green fields of conscience, learning, and respect for life and for our differences.

"The spirals speak of life's cyclical nature and of resilience. Of our capacity to learn and change our reality, converting painful experiences into strength and wisdom.

"The feather pendants are symbols of the birds that collect our prayers around the world — for peace, for justice, for equality and the rights of everyone. They carry our voices in their song and they carry our prayers for peace."

The pendant is worn on a beaded gemstone strand of amethyst, iolite, citrine, peridot, carnelian and garnet.