best pendant necklaces

"The powerful beauty of carnelian reminds me of God," confides Balinese designer Wayan Sarjana. He sets the faceted gem on sterling silver to create the illusion of a mystical, all-seeing eye.

.925 Sterling silver.

Seeming to reflect moonlight itself, a silvery-white mabe pearl centers this beautiful necklace from Bali's Kadek Hendra. The pearl is surrounded by florid silverwork and is suspended from a gleaming sterling chain. Hendra names the piece 'Hapsari', referring to a celestial female spirit from Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

Giuliana Valz-Gen crafts a filigree heart to wear on a silver chain. The beautiful pendant is a locket to hold a beloved photo or treasured keepsake. The talented designer gives the silver a darkened finish for an antique feel.

.925 Sterling silver

Tiberio Gonzales designs a spectacular necklace to showcase the natural beauty of lapis lazuli. The beautiful gem evokes the Peruvian Pacific. Set in a handcrafted sterling silver pendant, two deep blue stones are mesmerizing.

.925 Sterling silver

Chrysocolla, a precious gift of the earth, brings its mystique and elegance to a design of timeless beauty. Tiberio Gonzales works in sterling silver, mined in the Andes, to craft this stunning pendant necklace.

A circular medallion recreates the glyphs present in the Aztec calendar, representing a full year. In the center crouches a single man, known as Mam, or "carrier of time." According to Aztec legend, it is this person's role to carry the weight of a full 365 days upon his back, represented by the sack of stones that he bears. This character is depicted in excellent detail in this sterling silver necklace by Angel Ortiz. The pendant hangs from a sleek black cord.

Working with Indian artisans, Shivani Choudhary designs a pendant necklace that is at once striking and reverent. Crafted in sterling silver with a keen attention to detail is an intricate image of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha. Ganesha sits within a ring, three of his four arms holding weapons and his favorite dessert, laddu.

Tiberio Gonzales designs a spectacular necklace to showcase the natural beauty of chrysocolla. Mined in Peru, chrysocolla is regarded as the gem of wisdom and peace. Gonzales sets two chrysocollas in a handcrafted sterling silver pendant on a naga chain.

.925 Sterling silver

A serene and regal face, delicately carved of cow bone, adorns this necklace from Bali's Komang Suastra. She is Candra Kirana, princess of Kediri (a kingdom in East Java). Bedecked with over 2 carats of amethysts and crowned with sterling silver, the pendant is suspended from a sterling silver wheat chain.

Candra Kirana (whose name means 'Radiant Ray of the Moon') was the princess of Kediri in East Java. On the eve of her wedding day, Candra Kirana disappears. A demoness who wants Prince Panji (her bridegroom) for herself takes the form of a beautiful princess and tells the prince that she is his wife but has been transformed by the goddess Durga. Meanwhile, Candra Kirana finds herself deep in the forest, where she attracts the attention of the gods. Disguised by the gods as a man, she travels to the palace to be reunited with her bridegroom. When the demoness’s true identity is revealed, Candra Kirana magically vanishes. Panji goes in search of his bride, who has since become the king of Bali. At the climax, the prince fights with the disguised Chandra Kirana. According to the gods’ command, she must draw Panji’s blood in order to reveal her true identity. For a long time, neither of them brings harm to the other, but eventually Princess Candra Kirana draws her hairpin and pricks Prince Panji; thus she is finally reunited with her beloved.

Petals of faceted garnet flourish with the legacy of love. Crafted of sterling silver, the flower holds a teardrop stone that dances beneath it. This handcrafted necklace by Indian designer Neeru Goel features gemstones that total 13.7 carats.

.925 Sterling silver

"I love this design if I may say so myself!" admits Guatemala's Zandra Lorena Sajbin. "I wanted to combine several geometric shapes." The original design of this necklace seems to perpetuate jade's energy, which the ancient Maya believed to most powerful. They called it ya'ax chich, and believed it to be a sacred stone that symbolized life. The sterling silver necklace is crafted by hand with dark green jade.

.925 Sterling silver