Silver-plated brass zgarda set

This double-row zgarda set is my attempt to reinterpret one of the strongest forms of the Ukrainian jewelry code.

Zgardas first appeared in the Carpathians as protective cross necklaces, traditionally worn around the neck, sometimes layered in multiple rows. They combined Christian symbolism with far older solar signs — a memory of the sun, movement, and the continuity of life. Metal always carried meaning in these pieces: it protected, reflected light, and gathered time upon its surface.