Beyond the Hawthorn Tree pendant –

Beyond the Hawthorn Tree Pendant

I have had an idea in my head for many years around the Hawthorn Tree. Like most people growing up in Ireland, I read “Under the Hawthorn Tree” by Marita Conlon-McKenna and in truth the impact it had on me never waned. For those of you that haven’t read the book it is a moving tale of a family during the 1840s when Ireland is devastated by The Famine.

The Hawthorn tree was sacred to the ancient Irish. A solitary Hawthorn was known as a fairy tree & served as a gateway to the afterlife for many during the Famine. This piece presents this tradition in a modern style, the peridot representing the spiritual world, and the leaves representing a connection to the land.

The dome is approx 22mm in diameter. The hawthorn leaves are highly polished and the veins of the leaves and background are patinated (darkened) to create a nice contrast. The piece is finished off with a lovely faceted peridot. The pendant comes on a sterling silver chain with a choice of lengths.

This pendant is meticulously carfted from sterling silver and hallmarked in the Assay Office at Dublin Castle. A card explaining the meaning of the design comes with each piece.