When I saw these in the bead store I was very excited. When I was 13 my family visited Hawaii where among other wonders, we visited Mauna Loa and stood at the very brim of her melting pot. Three days after our visit the observation platform was engulfed with flaming lava when she erupted again. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilling that experience was, to stand and look into the heart of The Mama. To see the epitome of creation and destruction and recreation. Life, death, and rebirth. My blood and adrenalin sang with the power of it. The smell of it.

So, when I found beads made from hardened lava I couldn’t wait to make them into a necklace and earring set. I think of these beads as Earth and Fire in one. Mix them with leather and bone and horn and silver and I think I have myself a nice powerful protection bit of hardware going on.

I had to drill the lava beads out to accomodate the leather string, which is more fragile than I like. I might at some time, convert the leather to metal chain. But for now, the leather seems right.