Brass White Stone Shovel Dangle Charm

A spade is an uncommon shape in jewellery: a small shovel with a square blade, a short shaft behind it, and a loop at the end of the shaft. Whoever makes this shape is probably amused by it, or has something else in mind. The blade is square rather than pointed, which makes it read as a tool and not a weapon. The shaft is short, closer in proportion to a garden trowel than to a builder's shovel. Shaft and blade meet tightly, with no gap between them, so the piece reads as one object rather than two parts joined.

In folk talk a spade shovels things away — bad luck, rough patches. There is no classical source for it; it belongs with verbal charms. Others link it to digging up wealth, and accounts differ, so take it as it comes. Seen plainly as a tool, a spade was farm equipment that worked soil and carried no prestige. Made into jewellery, the appeal is the joke, not gravity. Tools do turn up in folk ornament more often than one expects; scissors and hoes have both been worn.

The blade is polished brass with white stones set across the face in a single row. These are white stones cut with many facets, and the reflection breaks up across them. The blade's edge is chamfered so it does not cut. The row is set level, with little variation in height, so light sweeping across gives one continuous line. Gaps are left between the stones, showing brass beneath, which is what keeps each one's outline readable.

The dangle is medium in length and hangs to the side of the palm on a bracelet. The loop at the shaft's end takes a small ring or a cord directly. It is light and will not pull a strand off centre, even on a fine cord. The blade has width, so on an uneven desk it will tilt; do not use it as a rest for anything. It suits a bag better than a bracelet — the shape carries a joke, and on a bag the joke sits easily.

The row of stones is the fragile part: knocks and soaking both loosen settings. Take it off to wash hands or shower rather than leaving it in water. Lose one stone and the original spacing cannot be restored, so avoid knocks. Wipe the brass with a dry cloth whenever the polished face shows fingerprints instead of letting them collect. The loop on the shaft is fine, so load concentrates at one point; do not hang anything heavy. A flat blade shows fine scratches readily — a day in a pocket with keys will dull it. The blade face is flat, so reflection comes as a sheet rather than as points of light.