Brief Summary… 

• Recycled silver Florin / Two shilling coin circa 1885-1919
• Meticulously hand cut, carved and engraved
• Made using only traditional hand tools and techniques
• Necklace chain included, various length options
• Optional free engraved details on reverse
• Optional Silver, Copper or Bonze wee charm
• Hairy Growler Shepherd’s Crook Necklace Catch: Sterling Silver
• Size : Approx 20mm * 25mm
• Symbolism : Freedom, little wanderer, loyalty, safe return, resurrection
• Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge

A little more detail…

Swallow necklace handcrafted and recycled from a 100 year old silver two Shilling coin.

Swallows bring spring, new beginnings, hope, and love due to their annual arrival and migratory patterns, often representing fidelity and loyalty as they mate for life and return to the same nests. They also remind us of safe journeys, freedom, and endurance, as seen in their long migrations, and for some, they are associated with happiness, renewal, and the overcoming of obstacles.

As they migrate to warmer climates to breed, their arrival is a sign of spring’s return, signifying new starts, rejuvenation, and the end of winter’s darkness. Swallows are monogamous and mate for life, making them a symbol of enduring love, commitment, and faithfulness. Their annual cycle of migration and return embodies hope and the cyclical nature of life, symbolizing the possibility of renewal after hardship.

Sailors historically viewed swallows as a sign of land and a safe return, while in modern times, a swallow necklace can represent a long journey or a return home.

The word for swallow in Irish, “fáinleog,” literally means “little wanderer,”. The swallow often symbolizes resurrection and eternal life, mirroring the belief that they hibernate and reawaken in spring.

This beautifully simple fáinleog swallow necklace has been carefully and lovingly crafted from a single pre 1920 sterling silver two shilling, Florin coin.  The majority of coins circulated over a hundred years ago are pure silver and the ones that are still remaining are in poor condition, from the point of view of a coin collector. The coins are thus only valued for their inherent scrap silver value, which is obviously a real shame. So rather than them being melted i like to flatten the coins and use the history and life of the coin as an extra element of interest and beauty.

The resultant sterling silver swallow necklace is suspended from a delicate yet strong, unobtrusive silver chain.

100% Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge, UK

Size : Approx 20 mm * 25 mm