Sterling Silver Marcasite Triple Cat Pin

The Ancient Egyptians revered and worshiped cats as being godlike. History records that the export of cats was forbidden, and the penalty for killing a cat was death. The word for cat in ancient Egypt was "mau," similar to our "meow," a universal cat word.

By the 5th Century B.C. images of cats appeared on Greek coins, and later they were depicted in Roman mosaics and paintings. The Romans introduced the domestic cat throughout Europe. Here, the cat was not worshiped, but was kept for companionship as well as for controlling the mice and rat population. The 11th century brought the Black Death and domestic felines became vital in destroying vermin.

The cat was also common in China by 500 BC. At first cats were given as gifts to the Emperor, but later, members of the nobility were allowed to own them, then the priests, and finally the commoners.

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.