
Pretiosa brings Lucretia - a pendant from the Empress of Opalus Collection
Hand made of sterling silver, featuring a beautiful, hand bezel set oval cut Ethiopian opal
"For in the opal you shall see the burning fire of the carbuncle of ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the green sea of the emerald and all glittering together" - Roman philosopher Pliny
This opal has such vibrance and fire, with warm shades of red, orange and green
Lucretia is listed as a pendant, but an 18" (45 cm) long rolo chain may follow her if so desired
Hand polished to a mirror shine
Material
♢ Fine silver for the bezel
♢ Sterling silver
♢ Ethiopian Opal
Measures
♢ Pendant height 25 mm, width 19 mm
♢ Opal 7 x 5 mm
Shipping of your choice at check out
Design, fabrication, packing and shipping by yours truly♥
Please read my shop policy before purchasing
Lucretia
Fine silver is 99,9% pure silver
Pure silver is a very soft material
Therefore, Pretiosa uses fine silver for the smaller parts of her jewelry, like bezels and other little details
Sterling silver is 92,5% pure silver
This is an alloy made when (usually) copper, the remaining 7.5%, is combined with fine silver
This is a less soft and more durable material
Pretiosa Design will only use customers data for shipping and/or correspondence with the customer and for legal reasons (like paying taxes)
Pretiosa Design neither sells, exchanges or otherwise discloses personal information to third parties
Credit Card information is not stored
To me, leaves are symbols of perseverance, strength and change. Several of my pieces have leaf details - to symbolize the message given by these strong, independent women from the past
Lucretia, though not an empress, her story is worth telling as her actions resulted in a huge political transition in Rome.
According to Roman tradition she was a noblewoman in ancient Rome whose rape by Sextus Tarquinius (Tarquin), son of the last king of Rome, was the cause of a rebellion that overthrew the Roman monarchy and led to the transition of Roman government from a kingdom to a republic.
Lucretia was married to Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. Her marriage was depicted as being the ideal Roman marriage as both Lucretia and Lucius were faithfully devoted to one another.
After an evening of partying and debating the virtues of wives, Lucretias husband and the sons of Tarquinius concluded Lucretia the winner, as she was at home working with her wool in silence while all the other women were found socializing with each other and getting ready for a night out.
A few days later one of the Tarquinius sons Sextus, seduced by Lucretias beauty and virtue, returned to the house of Collatinus. Collatinus was, at this time, away at Ardea. Lucretia received him graciously and granted him the hospitality according to his status as the son of the king.
Sextus waited until everyone else was asleep before taking up his sword and went to Lucretia's bedroom. Placing his sword against her, Sextus woke Lucretia with a low voice and declared his love for her. After begging, threatening and exhausting every method of seducing Lucretia, who would rather die than submit to him, Sextus finally said, “when I have killed you, I will put next to you the body of a nude slave. Everyone will say that you were killed during a dishonorable act of adultery.” With this final threat, Sextus succeeded. After he raped Lucretia, he left.
The distraught Lucretia sent messengers to her husband and her father, asking them each to come at once and bring a good friend, because a terrible thing had happened in her husband’s house. Lucretias father and husband came home, each with a friend as she had asked. In tears she told them what had happened to her and charged them to avenge her honor. After promising her that they would pursue Sextus, they tried to appease Lucretia’s sorrow by saying what had happened to her was not her fault.
Lucretia said, Nec ulla deinde inpudica Lucretiae exemplo vivet. (“Not in time to come shall ever unchaste woman live through the example of Lucretia”).
Then, as the men looked at each other in despair and confusion, Lucretia took up a dagger and plunged it into her heart. She died amid the cries of her husband and father.
At that moment it was sworn by Mars and all the other gods that anything was to be done to overthrow the dominion of the Tarquinii and that to be reconciled to them would not be tolerated. Any man who thought otherwise would be considered a sworn enemy and they would pursue with unrelenting hatred both the tyranny and its abettors.
The dagger was passed around and each mourner swore this oath by it.
There was a debate opened on the form of government Rome ought to have, a debate at which many patricians spoke. The proposition was banishment of the Tarquins from all the territories of Rome and appointment of an interrex to nominate new magistrates and conduct an election of ratification. They decided on a republican form of government with two consuls in place of a king executing the will of a patrician senate.
A general election was held and the vote won in favor of the republic. This ended the monarchy and prevented Rome from having another hereditary king.
source:
ancient-origins.net, Martinif
Wikipedia
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Custom/made to order jewelry and commissioned pieces are not eligible for return/refund. Make sure your measurements are accurate and that our dialogue along the way (for custom pieces) are consistent with your wishes. Stop by a local jeweler if possible, for measuring your exact ring size, and be aware that your fingers slightly change during the day due to temperature and salt intake.
When everything is agreed upon, the piece is paid in full before I swing my tools
For my international customers payment is through PayPal
My domestic customers may also use Vipps;
You will receive a payment request through Vipps
Payment must be done within 48 hours, or your piece will be made available for new buyers
For both international and domestic customers - please be in touch by email for payment plans
Please allow 5-10 days for fabrication and another 10-20 (business) days delivery time. (My experience is that it takes a while to ship abroad, so please expect as much as 30 days).
Have an urgent order? Please get in touch by email and I'll see what I can do
SHIPPING
Ready to ship jewelry will dispatch in 3-5 business days, and often sooner
I offer shipping with or without tracking;
Shipping without tracking is free of charge for my domestic customers and international shipping is $10
Shipping with tracking is 180 NOK (domestic) and $35 (international) - your tracking number will be sent to your email address
All purchases exceeding 2000 NOK/$200 qualifies for free shipping
*Please take into consideration that Pretiosa will not be held accountable for loss of packages shipped without a tracking number. Should these packages get lost or damaged when in the hands of the Postal services, there will be no refund issued. Pretiosa Design is a one woman operation and not a big mass production company - thank you for understanding
Buyer is responsible for any fees or taxes associated with shipping internationally, and Pretiosa will not be held responsible for items that may be held up by customs. Please make sure your countrys' import regulations do not have any restrictions regarding import of jewelry
RETURNS
Please be sure to read each product listing carefully, and ask any question you may have before making a purchase
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase upon arrival, please email desiree.stoen@gmail.com within 3 days of delivery. Customer satisfaction is always my top priority, and I will do my best to make sure your needs are met.
Refunds/returns are not guaranteed, so please make sure you ask any questions you may have and be sure of your commitment before making your purchase
Returns are assessed individually for each purchase, and to Pretiosas full discretion
(ex. fabrication of a ring made from your specific measures, will not be refundable, should it not fit. Buyer may return the piece and get it resized, if the design allows it, paying the postage both ways. There may also be an extra charge for the job, depending on the amount of work involved).
When your piece is received and 14 days have passed, the purchase is binding and the item may not be returned
Please remember that all my pieces are made completely by hand. This means they are unique, and minor flaws may occur - like with most handcrafted items ♥
These flaws are generally invisible to the naked eye, but will of course be outlined in the listing when appropriate and will be reflected in the price
Upon return, the item must be unused and in the same condition as when you received it. You will be refunded the full amount except postage. The buyer is also responsible for postage upon return, unless otherwise is agreed upon. Pretiosa takes full responsability for any faults or defects, and will in such cases refund buyers' postage.
Pretiosa Design will not be held accountable for lost packages or pieces damaged during shipping, and recommends that buyer returns the package including a tracking number and preferrably with insurance
Once Pretiosa receives the item returned, in the same condition as when delivered, you will receive a refund
Return address;
Desirée Støen Martinussen
Mellomveien 4
4870 Fevik
NORWAY