Meaningful Jewelry.

By Sarit Ron

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend and it is true when we are talking about monetizing and investments. Indeed the return on a good quality, clear diamond will be the best one when considering investing in a small object that travels well and sells quickly. As for myself, I like to invest in things that have high sentimental value and their return is sketchy yet grand. What do you mean, you ask? Well, when you put your soul into something, or invest your time and soul into someone, you’ll almost always get a much greater return, but you never know when it will happen, what form or shape it will take, and how surprising it might be. I LOVE happy surprises, don’t you?
This is the reason I like to buy and invest in special, artfully designed, meaningful jewelry. Some items in my jewelry box might have been highly priced when I bought them or was given them. Their current value in gold, silver or stones will not stand to save my life, yet their emotional value is extremely high. Want an example? Here’s one: there’s nothing like your first love saving all his money to get you the Roman stone earrings you liked, right?
Then there are the first jewelry pieces you got for your Bat Mitzva or Sweet Sixteen, all rich with lifelong meanings, like the Chai pendant, meaning ‘life’ in Hebrew, reflecting Judaism's focus on the importance of life. You might even remember the toast your dad gave for you on that special day, cheering: l'chayim (to life) at the end. Or maybe the charity you arranged for at that event, yielding multiples of $18 (the numeric value of the word Chai) to the women’s shelter.
Another pendant I got growing up was the Star of David. I got it with a note from my aunt who was a teacher, therefore never missed an opportunity to teach, and so it had a little note added to the box, in it the various meanings of the Star of David, or Magen David, as it is called in Hebrew. I knew that King David used this star symbol on his shield, hence the Hebrew name, but what I didn’t know was that the Star of David “interlocks two triangles forming a strong hexagonal structure. Some believe that the six-pointed star receives form and substance from its solid center. This inner core represents the spiritual dimension, surrounded by the six universal directions. Others perceive it to represent the sacred union of opposite energies or Yin Yang. The Chabadniks think the six points of the Star of David symbolize God's rule over the universe in all six directions. They further say that originally, the Hebrew name Magen David -- literally "Shield of David" -- poetically referred to God. It acknowledges that King David did not win by his own might, but by the support of the Almighty.
In Kabala, the two triangles represent the dichotomies inherent in man: good vs. evil, spiritual vs. physical, etc. The triangle pointing "up" symbolizes our good deeds which go up to heaven, and then activate a flow of goodness back down to the world, symbolized by the triangle pointing down.”
The best explanation yet was this one: “The Star of David is composed of two overlapping triangles or six smaller triangles emerging from a central hexagram. Like the Jewish people, the star has 12 sides, representing the 12 tribes of Israel.” Amazing.
The Bird or Dove of Peace pendant was given to me by my girlfriends, as we were all for world peace (remember Noah, the dove and the olive branch?), as well as the Pomegranate pin. Now Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds (= 613 good deeds or Mitzvahs) but it is also a symbol of fruitfulness, so go figure what exactly they meant giving me that pin...
I never got the Mezuza pendant; I guess it is a newer trend. Some consider it a good-luck charm; some see it as a constant reminder of G-d’s presence and G-d's mitzvoth.
Remember pregnancy Jewelry gifts? There you are, all vulnerable, hormonal, your tummy stretches to eternity (and beyond), feeling like an emotional volcano. At this point in your life you must obtain special jewelry, one that gives you the strength and support you need. Enter Kabala verses enriched jewelry. These little treasures have a deep meaning because they are integrated with sentences from the Kabala, blessings from the Jewish prayers for success, fertility , safe income, health, protection against the evil eye (see Chamsa) and guarding the person who wears it.
Does it work, you ask? I really can’t tell, but I am certain of the emotional security it provides the people who wear it. These Kabala Jewlery solve the issues of a person's lack of confidence, lack of belief in one's abilities, or lack of knowledge regarding the future. Of course, the one who wears the jewelry has to believe in it for the Amulet to succeed.
One more thing you should know about these kinds of Jewelry - they can be written on any material because the letters are the active element which creates their power. However, pure and non-perishable materials like gold, silver, leather and copper all hold energy that supports the writing.
Later on in life, as we moved, changed jobs, got promoted, had kids and overall aged, the need for Chamsas evolved. It’s not that we became superstitious all of the sudden, it’s just that we gained the sense of Oh-My-G-d It’s- Going -To -End-Soon feeling that comes with age. Some call it wisdom but you and I know the truth and the truth is, well, we’re getting old.
By now I have at least two Hamsa pendants, just to keep me on the good side when a bad day comes along and a wall full of Chamsa plucks to save the house and its dwellers from all sorts of bad luck, evil eye and other mischief.
In Jewish folklore, this Chamsa hand pattern represents a protection against the evil eye, a malignant spiritual influence caused by the jealousy of others…. Some believe it to be the "protecting hand", hand of Miriam or "Hand of God" known to draw positive energy, happiness, riches and health.
So, Diamonds are forever? Could be, but who needs forever when you live only once and the true meaning of it is during your life, your experiences, and your emotional highlights?