Garuda Pendant

Ico & the Bird Fine Jewelry was founded in 2020 by Juliana Domenico (Ico) Carr. Carr drew inspiration for her jewelry design from her world travels and early childhood memories in Brazil, playing with her mother’s jewelry box and arranging her mother’s collection of loose aquamarine gemstones into patterns. 

While Carr was formally educated in geology, she also has a deep background in the arts. An accomplished pianist, ballerina and actress, she has a love of creating and storytelling that is part of what drew her to designing fine jewelry.

In 2018, Carr visited Myanmar and partnered with Turquoise Mountain to create the first product line for Ico & the Bird. Inspired by the Burmese zodiac, Ico & the Bird launched a series of artisan Burmese charms and pendants made in 18-karat gold featuring the eight animal signs of the zodiac. Turquoise Mountain-supported craftspeople manage the production of these timeless and luxurious fine jewelry designs. 

Sustainability and ethical trading are part of the core company policies at Ico & the Bird's boutique in Los Angeles, California. Each gemstone is curated and tracked from mine to market to ensure authenticity and that its origins remain conflict-free. In an industry where waste materials are a major problem, Ico & the Bird insists on a reduction of energy use and recycling as critical steps in production. Every lapidary that reproduces Ico & the Bird designs is employed using global fair trade practices that protect labor standards, health and safety. 

On 1stDibs, find a selection of Ico & the Bird rings, necklaces and earrings.

Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.

The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.

Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.

Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.

On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.