First Step Wax Seal Necklace - antique wax seal charm jewelry - It's Only The First Step That Is The Hardest motto in French
This listing is for one necklace with a headless Saint Denis taking a step holding his head in his hands.
The charm was made using an impression of an antique wax seal.
The words framing this piece reads in French:
Ce N'Est Que Le Premier Pas Qui Coûte
(It's Only The First Step That Is The Most Difficult)
It's only the first step that is the hardest.
The witty French saying comes from an observation made by Mme du Deffand (1697–1780) upon hearing Cardinal de Polignac’s description of Saint Denis's miraculous walk.
Saint Denis is a Christian saint. Denis was Bishop of Paris in the 3rd century, and he was martyred in connection with persecutions of Christians and was beheaded. It is said Denis picked his head up after being decapitated, walked six miles, while preaching a sermon of repentance the entire way.
The antique wax seal used in creating this charm dates back to the 1820's Georgian era. It originates from England.
Note:
* size of charm is about 16x17mm
* this listing is for one charm with an 18" delicate sterling silver chain
* the words are tiny and not legible to the naked eye
* gift packaged
* card with translation and description is included
The wax seal charm necklaces are made by hand in Myrtle Beach, SC by RQP Studio.
This wax seal charm is made of fine silver .999 (which is 99.9% pure silver), and a 18" sterling silver chain is included (sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver). Please note that the wax seal charm has been through a oxidization process to give it an antique, vintage patina. The antique seal has been pressed into the silver by hand, and this makes each and every wax seal pendant unique. The wax seal charms are hallmarked on the reverse with the RQP logo stamp and a silver content stamp (.999) to show that the silver content is 99.9% pure silver. The wax seal necklace you will receive is similar to the ones in the pictures.
Helpful hints:
* Some of the images (above) of the wax seal necklaces have been photographed close-up. If you have a hard time imagining the size of the charms, then it can be helpful to physically draw the dimensions of the wax seal charm on a piece of paper.
*You can type in the words "mm to in" into Google's search box, that will give you a quick converter if you prefer the dimensions measured in inches.