The heart was once believed to be the seat of the human intellect, but during the Middle Ages it acquired the familiar shape and meaning it still has today as the universal symbol of love that appears everywhere from jewelry to St. Valentine's Day cards.

By about 1400, artists had given the heart its now-familiar form as a symmetrical red emblem depicting the "heart" in paintings and other visual art as a gift exchanged between lovers.

The heart symbol has always been popular in jewelry and reached its pinnacle during the Victorian period. Today heart-shaped jewelry remains a popular token of love and friendship.

Marcasite, (derived from the Arabic word for pyrite), is a common, pale bronze-colored mineral and has been called the "black diamond." Marcasite is a polymorph of pyrite which means that it has the same chemistry as pyrite but that has a different structure.

Women throughout history have prized its distinctive shine in the form of jewelry.

This pendant is shown on a 2.1 mm Rope Chain. Chains and cords are sold separately, please see our collection of Chains & Cords to complement your pendant.