The Sun is the Star Closest to Our Heart

The Sacred Grove Collection is directly inspired by ancient La Tène designs. The people of the Celtic La Tène culture lived all over Europe during the Iron Age, from what is now modern day France to the Ukraine, and as far north as what we now call the Celtic lands. When designing this collection, I wanted to focus on symbols that could be found throughout this wide range of lands, and beyond, encompassing the entire world.

The sun goes everywhere and touches everyone. You'll notice, if you look carefully, that while the La Tène inspired complex swirls of the Sun pendant are roughly symmetrical, the design as a whole is very carefully not. This combination is to reflect the dynamic, ever changing nature of the sun, and it gives the pendant a real dimensionality that's eye-catching and appealing. The 8-fold pattern of the sun outline is reminiscent of the 8-fold Celtic cycle of the year, with solar festivals (solstices & equinoxes) and fire festivals. This piece is inspired by a 2000-year old archaeological find of a bronze chariot horn cap at the Thames River, Brentford, England.

On the back of the Sun pendant, the inscription reads "may your heart be a light" with a small sun symbol beneath. It's an encouraging, uplifting message that makes a lovely gift.