Just Jewelry

I don't wear a lot of jewelry and although I own some things I like very much, there are only a few I treasure. I'm sharing four. Their order is not in terms of importance but when they came to matter to me.

There are spiritual meanings to the stones and metals we choose, and it is believed by some that they can help us with various areas of healing. I think we are drawn to what we need if we listen to our inner self and go with our instincts. We don't have to know why Grandma's broach always makes us feel good when we wear it. It could be sentiment but it also could be what it's made from.

The pieces of jewelry I am writing about are silver which is pretty much what I wear right now. Years ago all I wore was gold. Silver is said to be good for mental, emotional and physical releasing and cleansing. Helps one see overviews, achieve emotional balance. Some say it's sacred to the moon and I am very much a moon woman. Silver is also thought to be the mirror to the soul. It aids in speaking and helps to energize other stones especially in the new and full moons. It also draws negative energy from the body and replaces it with positive. Is that why I like wearing silver right now? I don't know. It just feels right to wear.

This Navajo, silver and turquoise bracelet was originally my mother-in-law's and she gave it to me about ten years ago. I liked it and set it aside in my jewelry box with other pieces of silver and turquoise. One morning a year or two later, I was walking up the hill behind this house with a dear friend. I was going through something then which I didn't understand. There were dreams, feelings, things I couldn't explain logically but felt. I was coming to believe past life memories were surfacing.

That morning as she and I walked, we talked of church stuff, our families, but inside, I was mulling over a dream from the night before. One of her two dogs, a hyper one, ran right in front of my legs, tripping me. I tried to save myself but fell hard. The only damage was a bloodied hand where I hit the gravel. It fit with the dreams and seemed to have meaning beyond the blood. I felt a sense of peace about what was happening. That same afternoon, I got into my jewelry box and, without knowing why it would help, put on this bracelet. I wore it every day.

I didn't know it then, but turquoise is for awakening and sacred knowledge. It is a truth stone and symbolizes being honest with who you are. It encourages you to be still and be yourself. When I was feeling past life memories surging forward, this stone would be then helpful in assimilating those into my life. It is also protective and enhances communication skills working at the throat chakra. For someone trying to access past lives, it is clear those things would be useful.

A few years ago, I realized I no longer needed to wear the bracelet all the time. It took a little doing to feel at ease without it on my wrist. Dependency though-- on anything-- is probably not healthy. When I wear it now, it's more casually.

About three or maybe even four years ago, I went for a walk near my Tucson home. When I got home, I realized one of my silver hoop earrings was no longer in my ear. Although they had only cost me $12 at Target, I was quite upset as they were the ones I regularly wore. I looked to buy another pair but they no longer carried ones like mine. For two weeks every time I walked, I looked for the missing hoop but gave up believing I would find it.

One day as I was walking back home along the sandy bridle path and feeling very down about some circumstances in my life, a situation that I felt could never work out right for everyone, I noticed some neighbors coming toward me. I had seen him before but never her. It was the first time I ever saw them walking when I was-- and I might add, the only time. The woman bent to pick up something and I wondered if she collected rocks.

As they came up to me, she put out her hand and asked, "Is this yours?" I was amazed to see my lost earring. I had obviously earlier walked right past it and never seen it. I told her yes and asked how she ever thought it might be mine. She said it just looked like me. It had been stepped on by a horse while out on the trail and had a crinkle in it that was new. It was beautiful to me.

I thanked her, and thought as I walked on that it had been returned to me against all odds and by someone I didn't know. And if that wasn't enough to convince me that we do receive help from outside ourselves, when I stopped to pick up my mail, a CD I had ordered but not been expecting had arrived-- the soundtrack to Against All Odds.

I still wear those earrings pretty much every day and often finger the bend in the one to remind me we are not alone and things do have a way of working out-- against all odds.

Celtic knots are done in many designs and this one was brought to me from Ireland when my son and daughter-in-law returned from living there for awhile. The meaning of the Celtic Knot is debated as there was no written language to explain its significance but many believe it represents the eternal. As with Navajo jewelry, most Celtic is silver.

This mandala was a gift from my daughter for Mother's Day. It is known as the Seed of Life and the design came from a planting stick of a Nepalese farmer. It is believed to be ancient symbol of fertility and abundance and is meant to bring blessings when you wear it.


Jewelry can be simple ornamentation but it also can have spiritual purposes. There are books to explain what various stones may be used for enhancing or healing as well as sites online. If you stop to think about what your favorite pieces are, you might find there are reasons that go deeper than you imagine.