Island inspired necklaces and bracelets made from locally sourced materials, made by a small community of artisans with disabilities. Made with thought and intent, meant to bless, guide and protect the wearer.
Jewelry Cleaning Tips
Want to bring back that shiny silver lustre to your sterling silver pieces? Head to the bathroom and use a dab of toothpaste and a rag or soft bristle tooth brush, then rinse with water and dry with a cloth. You will be amazed how it can get rid of tarnish and make your sterling silver sparkle.
Caribbean Fashion Week: Spinning & Weaving
For more on Spinning and Weaving Myths click here.
My Story and Myth inspired jewelry pieces will be at Caribbean Fashion Week. In a country where they are in the Guinness World Book of Records for the most churches per SQ. mile, how are they going to react to the empowered goddess archetype and the story and myth behind it. Quite well - I HOPE- Jamaica is a matriarchal society. Regardless people of the diaspora have always hidden deeper meaning behind things...
Coral in Mythology
Among the Romans branches of coral were hung around children's necks to preserve them from danger, and the substance had many medicinal virtues attributed to it. A belief in its potency as a charm continued to be entertained throughout medieval times; and even early in the 20th century in Italy was worn as a preservative from the evil eye, and by females as a cure for sterility.
Emeralds
The world’s source of emerald supplies has traditionally been Egypt. For thousands of years the famous Cleopatra mines, were worked by the Egyptians and then the Romans and the Turks.
In ancient times emeralds held a real fascination for the people. In addition to their exquisite beauty, they were coveted for their supposed magical and healing powers. Emeralds were, in fact, considered to be a cure for many diseases. They were also believed to be able to heighten fertility and sexual desire in women. As a result of such claims, Emeralds were greatly sought after and a profitable trade was established between Egypt and nations as far away as India. Above is a Butterfly Woman pendant in 24 kt gold vermeil with genuine emeralds and white jade it is inspired by period Bollywood Movies.
Butterflies in Myths
Myths about Butterflies ~
Many of the ancient civilizations believed that butterflies were symbols of the human soul.
Butterflies have been used by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries as symbols of joy and the essence of happiness.
Both cultures have added them to manuscripts, paintings and drawings for centuries.
Early Europeans believed that the human soul took the form of a butterfly so, they viewed the butterfly with great respect and often with fear.
Northern Europeans thought that dreams were the result of the soul-butterfly's wanderings through other worlds.
In southern Germany, some say the dead are reborn as children who fly about as butterflies, resulting in the belief that they bring children.
The Irish believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory.
Native American Indian legends told that butterflies would carry the wishes to the Great Spirit in heaven to be granted.
Shoshone Indians believed that butterfles were originally pebbles, into which the Great Spirit blew the precious breath of life.
Native American Zuni tribes believed that butterfles could predict the weather. The Zuni also believed that the white butterfly predicts the beginning of summer.
The Blackfeet Indians believe that dreams are brought to us in sleep by a butterfly.
The butterfly is a symbol of the fertility of the earth among some tribes of Mexico.
Born out of the caterpillar in the chrysalis, butterflies were a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, happiness, and joy to Native Americans in Mexico.
The Maya looked upon butterflies also as the spirits of dead warriors in disguise descending to earth.
A dying man in the Solomon Islands has a choice as to what he will become at death and often chooses a butterfly.
Among the Nagas of Assam the dead are believed to go through a series of transformations in the underworld and are finally reborn as butterflies.
When the butterfly dies, that is the end of the soul forever.
The Aztecs believed that the happy dead in the form of beautiful butterflies would visit their relatives to assure them that all was well.
These butterflies flew around the house and around bouquets of flowers which were carried by Aztec men of social rank.
Metamorphosis of butterflies and moths is one of the mysteries of Nature.
The ability of these insects to change from the crawling caterpillar to the flying adult is almost magical.
Many people are so awe inspired by the metamorphosis that they believe that butterflies and moths could never have evolved over millions of years without a God behind it.
The night butterfly [the moth] attracted by the flame, like the soul attracted by heavenly truths, burns in the flame, reflection of the trials that must be endured to eliminate the fleshy sink-stones before knowing the joys of the beyond.
Gold, Beauty and Power
Early civilizations equated gold with gods and rulers, and gold was sought in their name and dedicated to their glorification. Humans almost intuitively place a high value on gold, equating it with power, beauty, and the cultural elite. And since gold is widely distributed all over the globe, we find this same thinking about gold throughout ancient and modern civilizations everywhere.
Gold, beauty, and power have always gone together. Gold in ancient times was made into shrines and idols ("the Golden Calf"), plates, cups, vases and vessels of all kinds, and of course, jewelry for personal adornment.
Rubies
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)