Obsidian Heart Sutra Necklace

The Heart Sutra, carved in full around a cylinder of obsidian.

The Heart Sutra is the shortest of the great Buddhist texts, some 260 characters that can be chanted in a minute, and it has been copied, carried and recited for over a thousand years for what those characters say: that form is emptiness, and there is nothing to fear. Cut into stone, it stops being something to read and becomes something to hold.

Obsidian is volcanic glass, formed where molten rock met cold air, long kept for grounding and protection. Its polish takes fine carving well. The bead chain draws out to length, so it sits under a shirt or over one.

Chosen for someone beginning a practice, sitting exams, or getting through a year they would rather not repeat.