Peanut Wood Jasper Pendant on Rare Grade AAA Schalenblende Beads

This understated but elegant necklace features a peanut wood jasper oval cabochon set in sterling silver on a rare and costly Grade AAA German Schalenblene* strand.

* Schalenblen is found in only a few places in Germany, Belgium and Australia.  The larger slices show breathtaking patterns but even the smaller beads have so many lovely colors.  Schalenblende is a lead-zinc ore that contains compact layers of Galena (gray), Wurtzite (yellow), Sphalerite (silver), Pyrite, and Marcasite (silver and gold).  

It's estimated that Schalenblende formed around 135 million years ago, when a sulfide rich liquid rapidly crystallized at an unusually low temperature. This specific creation process was rare on Ancient Earth, thus making this stone relatively rare today