The Illuminated U. Large

Illumination refers to an embellishment of letters or texts with either gold or silver leaf in efforts to quite literally illuminate the page with the glow of these materials. These illuminations were often done to the first letter of a word in the first paragraph of a text within a manuscript, an purposeful art that dates as far back as ancient Egypt, which is the first known recorded instance of illumination practices being used to document important events and teachings ( The Book of the Dead being one of the most famous ancient examples of this ). This antiquated form of written language and transference of knowledge were generally reserved for texts of utmost importance and commissioned by royalty and religious leaders, which made these sorts of painstakingly handmade works of art rare and treasured. Our Illuminated Alphabet collection follows in this ancient tradition of crafting ornate letters in luminous sterling silver.  This series was created in homage to my husband Aaron Horkey and his amazing hand lettering talents. Each letter was based directly off a drawing Aaron has drawn by hand, in the way of the ancient artists who illuminated manuscripts: with dedication, precision and an eye for beauty. It’s my hope these will be talismans of connection to the people, words, places and names you hold dear. Seen here in it’s larger form, this listing is for one letter ‘U’ pendant on our signature bar link chain in the length of your choosing. Both pendant and chain are sterling silver, hand oxidized to achieve our shade of stormy gray and then highlighted to reveal the bright luminous silver beneath. Details: -34mm tall including jump ring  -18mm at it’s widest -solid sterling silver ***IMPORTANT*** This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 4 weeks for creation before shipping.                    Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE. If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com