Itelmen Medicine Woman's Healing Amulet Fossil Ivory With Opal

Sterling Silver $89.50

"Spirituality leaps where science cannot yet follow, because science must always test and measure, and much of reality and human experience is immeasurable."

At the southernmost tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula lies the country of the Itelmen. For the last 5200 years they have lived on the riverbanks, of Kamchatka.Their most revered spirit of the sea which provided their main food - salmon. Their Shamans possessed a great deal of knowledge of plants, natural medicines, healing, etc. Like all Itelmen, they wore amulets, but Itelmen Shamans wore many, many amulets, most used to insure hardiness, for protection against disease, etc.

Our Itelmen Amulet is designed after one of about 25 amulets unearthed from an archeological homesite of an Itelmen Shaman woman. This particular Amulet was made from a holed piece of Fossil Walrus ivory and was tied together with a blue river stone. This stunning amulet was most probably worn as a healing tool. (Blue stones have been the traditional colored stone that medicine people all over the world have used for medicinal amulets.) We took a naturally-shaped river washed piece of 4000 year old cream colored Fossil Walrus Ivory, formed a Sterling Silver bezel and full backing, and topped it with a striking bright blue opal gemstone - It is the modern embodiment of the found Amulet. 1 inch high, 1/2 inch wide. Complete with Sterling Silver chain.