Vintage Tibetan silver pendant with cat

Very nice pendant with Tibetan silver and (most likely faux) gemstones, made in a typical, traditional Tibetan style.

When looking at Tibetan jewelry (or the adornments on other richly decorated objects such as sacred statues and ritual attributes), you will find that some type of (gem)stone are used especially often. On one hand, this of course has to do with the simple fact of availability in the regions where those items have been made, but on the other hand also the symbolic meanings of these particular (gem)stones plays a big role.

Some of the stones used most often in Tibetan jewelry can also be seen in this pendant:

Turquoise; probably the most revered gemstone of all. The sky-blue color symbolizes a connection to the Infinite Blue Sky, Great Spirit and our human souls as a part of that. It symbolizes life itself, heals our spirit and offers protection from the ancestors.
Lapis Lazuli; symbolizes the vastness of the sky and the sea and represents wisdom, truth, and spiritual exploration.
Coral; represents life force, energy, vitality and strength. Also it symbolizes the blood of the Buddha.

Nowadays often the use of real gemstones in Tibetan jewelry has been replaced by the use of synthetic stones or colored glass, making items lower priced and thus more accessible for most people. And the substitutes used are often so skillfully made, that it's hard to tell the difference with real gemstones.

This pendant shows a lovely image of a cat in the center. Size; approximately 54 millimeters high (measured without the eyelet) and 40 millimeters wide. Weight: 35 grams.

Only one available.