Brief Summary…

• Pre 1920 Sterling Silver coins
• Optional moon and star aesthetic: silver, golden bronze or reddish copper
• Hand carved Gillihowlet with tiny feather details
• Hand cut with traditional jewellers piercing saw.
• Ring Size guide
• Completely unique and original Gillihowlet
• Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge
• Size : approx 12 mm width
• Symbolism : Nocturnal, silent, intuition, wisdom, perception, cycles of life, transformation 
• Made carefully with Love

A little more detail…

Recycled 100 year old sterling silver coins

Gillihowlet is an old name for the Barn Owl,, also known by other names like the screech-owl, white owl, church owl, and yellow owl, particularly associated with Thomas Bewick’s engravings and other older texts about British birds. The term highlights the owl’s distinctive screeching call. The “howlet” part of “gillihowlet” is a variation of “howlet,” meaning a small owl or young owl, which likely describes the Barn Owl’s sound or appearance.

The Gillihowlet’s activity at night makes it a creature of shadows, symbolizing hidden aspects, the unconscious, and truths that lie beyond direct perception. Its quiet movement through the darkness further enhances its association with the unseen, lending a ghostly quality to its presence. The ability of owls to navigate and hunt in darkness by sound alone is linked to inner knowing, trusting one’s intuition, and finding clarity even in difficult or dark situations.

The Gillihowlet’s keen senses symbolize the need for sharp perception to understand hidden dangers or truths that are not immediately obvious. The Barn Owl appears in folklore, where its screeches are said to predict storms or signal their end. In literature, such as Gwen Harwood’s poem “Barn Owl”, the owl can symbolize the loss of innocence and the harsh realities of the natural world in the face of human actions

I have hand cut this lovely ‘Gillihowlet’ barn owl ring from only the finest sterling silver Georgian coin. This is a very time consuming and mentally ‘taxing’ piece to create, especially so giving that i am only using recycled silver coins! Obviously I only use silver coins that have found their way to me due to being unwanted by coin collectors. Often these lovely coins become uncollectible due to being in circulation and losing important details which collectors desire. This ‘imperfections’ are elements that i cherish as they show the previous life of the coin and provide lovely food for my imagination! I love to ‘adopt’ these little orphans and reinvent them into desirable, wearable jewellery. Each ring is completely hand cut and carved using traditional tools and techniques. As a result each piece is unique, individual and original, oh, and 100% ethical and recycled!

The ‘Gillihowlet’ barn owl design is freehand drawn onto the surface of the of the prepared silver coin. This basic sketch is embelished and detailed with a miniture hand saw, hammers, chisels and micro drill. Once cut out the piece is formed into a lovely ring. Even as the maker of these rings i look at each one in its newly shiny shape and form, and feel quite pleased! Days earlier it had been an unwanted worn silver coin. The ‘off-cut’ of the ‘donor’ coin is included with the ring. This is a lovely piece of silver which will connect you to the rings previous life and history as a piece of Georgian currency. It also beautifully demonstrates its ethical and green origins.