Sterling Silver Carved Mammoth Ivory Sage and Citrine Bead Necklace

Necklace is titled "The Sage." Jewelry designer Susan Tereba says: Carved from mammoth tusk, this piece reminds us of the endless nature of the moment. It is a wise guide imparting true knowledge. Listen for its teachings. The piece is strung with citrine, carnelian, pearls, Balinese sterling silver, and our sterling silver signature clasp.

Carnelian is a translucent red or orange variety of chalcedony, sometimes banded red and orange like an agate. Once believed to benefit the wearer's health and love life. Most carnelian comes from Brazil, India, Siberia, and Germany.

Citrine is quartz generally occurring in a golden color. Citrine occurs naturally in Scotland and in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Much citrine available today is actually smoky quartz or amethyst that has been heat-treated to achieve its characteristic color.

Mammoth ivory is the fossilized tusk material of the woolly mammoth, an elephant ancestor that has been extinct for 10,000 years. Mammoth tusks grew up to 16 ft long and are collected today mainly on the steppes of Siberia.

Natural pearls are formed when an foreign object becomes trapped in the shell of an oyster or pearl and the animal surrounds the object with several mineral layers in order to protect its soft tissue. Most pearls sold today are farmed pearls, created by intentionally inserting small mother-of-pearl beads in the oyster's shell. The resulting pearls are harvested up to two years later. Pearls come in a range of pastel colors from cream to blue to pink, and irregularly shaped pearls are often called "baroque" pearls. Mabe pearls are hemispherical cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster rather than in the mollusk's body. Mabe pearls are typically used in settings such as that conceal their flat backs.