This CROSS OF NAILS pendant is an authentic, traditional amulet. It has been customarily hand made in my rural workshop in Shropshire, England. It is hand cast in pewter then given a vintage-look oxide patina, before being finished with a light hand polish and a protective coating of clear lacquer. Accented with a copper jump ring and a bronze-tone metal bead, it comes on a 24″ (60cm) long, black, round leather cord with a pewter T-bar & ring clasp; this is a generous overall pendant length, but is easily shortened to as little as a choker with its unique, vintage-style adjustable toggle fastener.
Pewter, my preferred metal, was introduced into Britain by the Romans, but is more especially associated with the Medieval, Tudor and through to Victorian times. It was used by the wealthy for domestic items such as candle sticks, plates, spoons and drinking vessels, etc, but also for decorative pieces such as jewellery, accessories and fittings. In earlier times pewter was an alloy of tin and lead, however, lead has now been replaced by small amounts of the safe bismuth and copper. The pewter that I use for Lychgate Charms is modern English pewter; a high quality, lead-free, 92% tin alloy.
An amulet is an object that protects a person from harm and misfortune, and/or attracts good fortune – a charm. The power of an amulet was and is greatly enhanced in proportion to the strength of belief of its owner. Such personal amulets have been worn for protection or ‘good luck’ for thousands of years, since the times of the hunter-gatherer, and today they remain no less effective.
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