Astrophyllite Jellyfish Pendant – Sterling Silver | Ben & Bryant Collection

How cool is this jellyfish! Ben Davis cut this astrophyllite specimen to showcase the mineral’s natural bronze crystal sprays - so it's the rough stone as opposed to our usual polished cabochon. Then Randy Bryant did the most amazing silverwork (using his dried-prickly-pear-cactus technique) to create the jellyfish's trailing body.

Astrophyllite is a rare titanium-iron silicate mineral that forms deep within alkaline igneous rocks such as nepheline syenite. As magma cools slowly underground, the crystals grow in dramatic radiating patterns, the feature that gives the mineral its name from the Greek astron (star) and phyllon (leaf). Those natural starburst structures are exactly what make this stone so mesmerizing when it catches the light.

The stone is set in solid .925 sterling silver, hand-crafted in Texas by geologist and lapidary artist Ben Davis with master silversmith Randy Bryant. Randy sculpted the lower silverwork with his distinctive organic texture so the metal flows downward like the soft movement of a jellyfish bell and tentacles, giving the pendant a sense of motion while framing the natural crystal structure above.

Each piece in the Ben & Bryant Collection celebrates geology, craftsmanship, and the beauty of natural stone.

Details

• Stone: Natural astrophyllite
• Geology: Astrophyllite forms in rare alkaline igneous environments where slow cooling allows its bronze blade-like crystals to grow in radiating starburst patterns.
• Metal: Solid .925 sterling silver
• Crafted By: Geologist and lapidary artist Ben Davis with master silversmith Randy Bryant
• Made In: Texas, USA
• Design: Sculpted sterling silver designed to resemble a drifting jellyfish beneath the natural astrophyllite crystals
• One of a Kind: Every natural stone is unique — this exact piece will never exist again
• Included: Arrives with a soft suede jewelry bag and a sterling silver polishing cloth for storage and care.