Dracula Soil Vial Necklace 🦇

LIMITED AVAILABILITY: Each vial is made by hand, so availability for this item will be limited. If it is marked as out of stock, make sure to sign up for email notifications so that you'll be the first to know when it returns! Please Note: This item cannot be shipped to Australia due to import restrictions. "Dracula Soil" was part of the First Edition collection. We're excited to bring it back from the grave in this new form! ⚰️ Also available as a standalone specimen! "He was deathly pale, just like a waxen image, and the red eyes glared with the horrible vindictive look which I knew so well." ~ Bram Stoker, Dracula (1897) This specimen is a vial of earth from Cetatea Poenari, one of the favorite haunts of Vlad Tepes III, Prince of Wallachia and member of the house of Drăculești. The hand-crafted vial with cap is approximately 1" (25mm) in length and the box-style chain measures 18" (45cm). Both the cap and the chain are made of sterling silver. The necklace comes in a black gift box and includes a small information card about the specimen. The card serves as the certificate of authenticity and can be found underneath the padded lining of the display box. The necklaces are shipped within a small anti-tarnish bag to protect the silver elements of the piece during storage and transport. You may wish to keep this bag to store your piece when you are not wearing it. Above: The Dracula Soil Vial Necklace resting amid the earth from Cetatea Poenari More Information about the Dracula Soil Specimen Vlad Tepes was famous even before Bram Stoker used him as his model for the vampiric Count Dracula. Above: Vlad Tepes III, Voivode (Warlord) of Wallachia 1448, 1456–1462, and 1476 During the 15th century, Prince Vlad III was known for his heroic exploits in battle and cunning guerrilla warfare tactics against the vast forces of the Ottoman Empire. He is also known for his exceptional cruelty, including impaling tens of thousands of captured Turks. As noted above, the earth sealed in this hand-made vial comes from the grounds of Cetatea Poenari, the citadel of Prince Vlad’s ancestors. Perched high on a steep precipice of rock, the fortress was one of Tepes's favorite haunts. Above: Cetatea Poenari accessible by climbing 1,480 stairs Cetatea Poenari is not an easy place to reach, something Hans learned first-hand when he went to Romania to collect this specimen. "When I checked into the hotel, I met a few Romanian tourists. They warned me not to walk the stairs to the fortress at night. I thought they were joking. I had secured permission already, but they said, "No, you misunderstand. There are wolves and bears. Also, many wild dogs roaming out there at night." After eating supper, I opened my guide book and learned that sure enough, this region has the highest concentration of wolves, bears and feral dogs in all of Europe. However, I could hear a storm brewing (yes, really) and suddenly I was worried the ground would be soaking wet the next day. I only had a few days in Romania and this would ruin my opportunity to collect this specimen. So, I decided to climb the cliff below the castle where nothing could reach me. In retrospect, I suppose I am lucky to be alive, but I did learn though that while very difficult the fortress is not impossible to reach in this manner... Even when one forgets their headlamp. The next day I used the stairs, but of course, it was beautiful and everything was dry by the afternoon.