Ships from Tucson, Arizona. This piece is held in our United States warehouse and can only be delivered within the United States.
One of a kind
Every carving is cut from its own block of rough. The photographs on this page show the exact piece you will receive — not a sample from the same batch.
Natural stone, untreated
100% natural stone, never dyed or reconstituted. Veins, inclusions and small shifts in colour are how the material formed; they are marks of origin rather than faults.
Carved by hand
Cut, shaped and polished by hand. Proportions differ a little from piece to piece because each one follows the block it came out of.
Checked and packed
Hand-inspected before dispatch and shipped in shockproof packaging.
What Lies Beneath
Malachite forms above copper ore, so its presence has always meant something else was there. Traditionally read as a stone of what is indicated rather than what is seen.
Kept where you are trying to work out what is really going on.
Very Long Use
Worked in Egypt, Russia and China for millennia, it is among the oldest ornamental stones in continuous use.
Placed where old things are kept.
Warning
Its traditional reputation is as a stone that signals rather than shields — associated with noticing a problem early.
Set where you would want an early warning.
Real Care Needed
At 3.5 on the Mohs scale it scratches easily and should not be soaked; the dust is genuinely toxic, though a finished carving is not.
Dust it dry, keep it away from water and from harder stones.
Why We Carve Skulls
The skull is the oldest symbol of transformation: what remains, what endures, what is left when everything temporary has gone. Carved in stone it reads less as death and more as clarity.
Turn it to face you when you want to be honest; turn it outward when you want to be left alone.