This necklace features a portrait of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and queen Elizabeth I's mother. (Read more about her below)

I created this stunning piece with a dark colour scheme of black and bronze with green and burgundy accents. It makes one go back in time, in Medieval Europe when royalty was dressed in rich velvet fabrics adorned with lavish trimmings. I brought in just that with the metallic jacquard ribbon (from India), silk velvet, lace and tapestry salvaged from an old pillowcase. I brought a touch of femininity with a green velvet bow.

The portrait in this necklace is a reproduction of Unknown English artist, oil on panel, late 16th century, based on a work of circa 1533-1536. It is housed in National Portrait Gallery in London. As I mentioned in the Queens Collection description, the portraits used are the last of their kind available. They were painted by two grand artists of Fedoskino art school (lacquer miniature art school outside Moskow), Tatiana Suvorova and Marina Pahomova, both retired. Their style, so suitable for the classic feel of this collection, is not matched by any other active artist of the Russian school, as I have been told by the dealers from which I purchase these portraits for many years.

Below the portrait sits an embossed metallic component and a black onyx stone (read about this stone below). For the historical component I used a fragment of a coin from Medieval England, found in a group of coins buried, dating from 14th to 16th century. I did a lot of research for these historical pieces and I bought from verified sellers. I used these coins with the purpose of bringing the energy of the past into these pieces and I would never use one that I would believe is not original to forfeit my original intent. HOWEVER, the coins I used in this collection are not certified and I do not claim with 100% certainty they are real. Nor do I reflect their rarity in the necklace price beyond what I originally purchased them for and the time spent sourcing them.

Above the focal sits a handmade ceramic component with roses (from France) which I chose to represent the Tudor rose, the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England taking its name and origins from the House of Tudor to which Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth belonged.

About the stone: Onyx is a stone that offers up powerful vibrations of protection, strength, focus, and willpower. This stone is here to continuously push you forward in your life. Simply carrying this stone or wearing Onyx daily will provide a shield around ones aura, refusing to allow negative energy to attach itself to you. This stone has been used as protection for thousands of years and is still one of the strongest protection stones we know of. (link to source)

Anne Boleyn (c. 1501 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that marked the start of the English Reformation.

She secured a post at court as maid of honour to Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1526, Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne. She resisted his attempts to seduce her, refusing to become his mistress. Henry soon focused his desires on annulling his marriage to Catherine so he would be free to marry her. Henry and his advisers, such as Thomas Cromwell, began the breaking of the Catholic Church's power in England.

By March 1536, Henry was courting Jane Seymour. In order to marry Seymour, Henry had to find reasons to end his marriage to Anne. Henry VIII had her investigated for high treason, she was arrested and sent to the Tower of London and beheaded. Anne became venerated as a martyr and heroine of the English Reformation. She has been called "the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had", as she provided the occasion for Henry VIII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declare the English church's independence from the Vatican. (link to source)