The Orphic Tablet Pendant
Complete the look:
Free global shipping
100% recycled solid gold
Handcrafted in New York
Fairly made, fairly priced
In the ancient world, thin sheets of gold were inscribed with instructions for navigating the afterlife and tucked into linen shrouds. A map for the soul; a golden key.
This pendant is based on the Petelia Gold Tablet, a 3rd to 2nd century BCE Orphic inscription from southern Italy, unearthed in the 1830s. Its ancient Greek text guides the dead away from the waters of forgetfulness and toward the spring of Mnemosyne: Memory.
Cast in solid gold, the pendant translates an ancient funerary text into a wearable relic. Its words evoke thirst, darkness, memory, and divine descent: the soul not as something lost, but as something instructed, prepared, and remembered.
A talisman for transformation, memory, and the hidden knowledge carried beyond the visible world.
The translated inscription reads:
You will find to the left of the house of Hades a spring,
and by it stands a white cypress.
You should not even come near this spring!
But you will find another one, from the Lake of Memory,
cold water pouring forth. But there are guardians in front of it.
Say, "I am the child of Earth and Starry Heaven,
but my race is heavenly. This you yourselves also know!
I am parched with thirst and perishing. Quickly give me
cold water pouring forth from the Lake of Memory!"
And they will give you to drink from the divine [la]ke.
And thereafter you will reign [with the other] heroes.
This is [the "gift] of [Memory." Whenever he is about] to die,
[let the dying hero] write this [on a tablet of gold],
[before loathsome] darkness [might take him],
having enclosed him all around.
Why Solid Gold
Solid gold is for those who buy once and buy well. It will not tarnish, fade, or degrade; worn daily for decades, it only grows more beautiful. It is the right choice if you want a piece that lasts a lifetime or becomes an heirloom.
Gold has appreciated steadily for centuries and retains intrinsic value: it can always be melted down and reborn as something new. It is adornment that is also an investment.
Our solid gold pieces are cast using the ancient lost wax method and are never hollow. Every gram is 100% certified recycled, and every piece is made by hand in New York City.
Product Details
When will my piece ship?
Production time:
Most solid gold is handcrafted to order.
We keep a small inventory of solid gold pieces - please check just above the size/color selector to see if your piece is in stock.
If not, please refer to the above production timeframe.
FAQ
When will my order ship?
Solid gold pieces are handcrafted to order, though occasionally we keep a few items in inventory. It will show just below the item's price whether it is in stock or made to order.
Each item has a different lead time based on the complexity of the piece.
This piece's lead time is:
Why don't you make rings in Gold Vermeil?
While we love the affordability of vermeil, it's not an ideal metal for rings because our hands are exposed to so much wear and tear.
Vermeil necklaces can last 2 - 3 years with proper care, but we've never seen a vermeil ring last more than 6 months.
We believe it would be wrong to sell these rings to you in anything but solid gold.
Does your jewelry come in a box or a pouch?
Necklaces come in a beautiful maroon box, while rings come in an antique-style velvet box.
How We Price Our Gold Jewelry
People are always curious about how jewelry companies price their pieces - how can that tiny little piece be worth $3000? I was one of those skeptical people until I founded...
