A little more detail…

This beautiful handcrafted necklace pendant is perfect for the music lover in your life, be that you or someone close! As always, each and every necklace pendant is handmade and completely made from recycled raw materials. The raw material is a sterling silver sixpence coin circa 1890’s. The coins i use are unwanted by coin collectors due to wear, etc.

Each one is handcrafted from a genuine sterling silver pre 1919 English silver sixpence.  You are welcome to choose the lucky sixpence as a keepsake lucky token to be carried in a purse or wallet. If this option is chosen the design will be created without the necklace loop so it sits flat in a pocket or purse.

Sterling silver was the choice material of all English Threepence’s, Sixpence’s, Shilling’s, Florins, Half-Crowns and Crown coins before 1919. This presents a great opportunity to create precious metal recycled jewellery. The vast majority of these coins have suffered substantial wear over their years of circulation. It is these coins which are not valued by most coin collectors. In most cases these coins are acquired to be melted down for the basic silver value. This disappointing truth means that all of the history, detailsand interest of the coin are lost forever. Recycling the coins allows these original details to survive and become conversation.  Obviously it is important for the piece of jewellery to be desirable, wearable and beautiful!

Each pendant is carefully handcrafted to order, using only these recycled sterling silver sixpence coins. The coins themselves are the perfect medium for this beautiful design, inline with a love of nature using these coins is the perfect ethical and green solution. No new silver is destructively ‘mined’, rather, old, uncollectible coins are saved from the ‘melting pot’ so some of their history and story live on.

The lucky sixpence tradition, where the coin is given as a symbol of good luck, has its roots in British history, particularly in wedding and Christmas traditions. Introduced in 1551 during the reign of Edward VI, the sixpence was a circulating coin for centuries. Its association with good luck is linked to various customs, including placing it in a bride’s shoe or including it in a Christmas pudding. The lucky sixpence lore has been firmly establish through many of our traditions. These traditions are part of the soul of our culture.

Origins of the Sixpence as a Lucky Charm:

Wedding Tradition:It’s common for a sixpence to be placed in a bride’s shoe to wish her good fortune. This practice is thought to have originated in the early 1600s when the Lord of the Manor presented the coin as a wedding gift, and later, it became a customary dowry gift.

Christmas Pudding Tradition:Another tradition involves placing a sixpence in the Christmas pudding before it’s cooked. The person who finds the sixpence in their portion on Christmas Day is said to have good luck for the coming year. This tradition is believed to have started during Victorian times, specifically on the Sunday before Advent, known as “Stir Up Sunday,” according to The East India Company Collections.

Fairies and the Sixpence:Some folklore suggests that fairies would reward a tidy maid or housewife by leaving a sixpence in her shoe.

The Sixpence’s History as a Coin:The sixpence was first struck in 1551, during the reign of Edward VI, and was initially a silver coin. It was a popular coin in British pre-decimal coinage for over 400 years. It was demonetized in 1980, but its legacy as a lucky charm endures.

The sixpence’s journey from a circulating coin to a symbol of good luck is a testament to its enduring presence in British culture and tradition.

Once the bass clef design has been freehand sketched on to the coin it is carefully hand cut and carved using traditional hand saws, chisels and files. This traditional process allows me to have a close connection to each piece, ensuring the end result is personal and unique.

Handmade and recycled in Cambridge, England.

Good luck and best wishes. Handcrafted and recycled in Cambridge, UK.

Size : Approx 19 mm diameter