Vintage Sterling Silver Filigree Hamsa Necklace with Malachite and Green Jade
This vintage necklace features a handmade Yemenite-style filigree sterling silver pendant with a malachite inset, on a necklace of antique sterling silver, green jade, and malachite.
The necklace is 21" long without the pendant, the pendant adds another 2" in length.
The Hamsa is an ancient symbol that transcends a single religion. Since pre-Islamic times, Jews, Carthaginians, and Romans all saw the hamsa as having the power to avert the evil eye. It later became a prominent symbol in Islamic countries. Hamsa is also referred to as “the hand of Miriam” (who was Moses’ sister) in the Jewish tradition, while Muslims refer to it as “the hand of Fatima” (the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter). It is a ubiquitous symbol in the Jewish culture appearing on marriage contracts and adorning many religious and ritual objects. The symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts and amulets. In more recent times the hamsa became more of a secular symbol in everyday Israeli life.
