Hinged Serpent Necklace with Onyx and Malachite

• Hinged articulated snake head
• Black onyx and green malachite inlay bands
• Collarbone-hugging silhouette
• High-polish sterling silver finish

Handmade with natural stone inlay, so the onyx and malachite pattern and the silver's finish shift slightly from one piece to the next.

The serpent is a form jewelry keeps returning to because its long, sinuous body lends itself to pieces that wrap the neck rather than simply hang from it. Here the form is engineered rather than cast in one static shape — the head is built on a hinge, so it swings and settles at the collarbone the way a real snake's head would drop when coiled.

The black onyx and green malachite bands break up the silver's length, and the contrast of solid black against patterned green reads as graphic rather than literal. It's a serpent as composition, not as symbol.

The silver body is worked into its tapering curve, then cut so each stone sits flush with the metal around it rather than raised or loose. The hinge at the neck is the trickiest part — tight enough to hold the head's position, free enough to pivot smoothly onto the collarbone every time it's worn. The silver is polished by hand, with the stone inlay left matte for contrast.

Wipe with a soft silver polishing cloth after wear and store in a dry, airtight pouch. This keeps the silver from tarnishing and the stone inlay from dulling.