Icarus's legacy

Sterling chain with a mixed alloy section, tassel and bronze hoop.

This chain combines sterling silver with a gold plated chain, which was inherited from my french mother-in-law, and includes a Victorian Albertina tassel and a Celtic bronze hoop. The bronze age hoop is in fact old currency dating back to 700 BC, and I've loved sourcing these from mudlarkers, old collectors and the like to get creative with. This Celtic Iron Age bronze ring was found in the Midlands from a Staffordshire collection.

The piece is guided by the myth of Icarus - a tale of ambition, restraint, and the delicate art of balance. It’s a reminder not to fly too close to the sun, nor too low to the sea, but to navigate with purpose and awareness.

 Each element of the chain carries that message in its own way: a meeting of past and present, tradition and experimentation, risk and reverence.

As with all Smith & Sun, we encourage combining with your own pieces, and this chain would look great with whatever you sling around your neck. We've combined it here with a gorgeous garden quartz (Lodolite) with hematite and chlorite inclusions on a buried band. This is a rare piece for me, both in the type of stone and the type of work it took - soldering it was quite hard and won't be something I do that often. Sold separetley the stone is £222, but combined with the chain £188.