Jazzy Jewelry Jones

• Peridot is the August birthstone and symbolizes happiness in a marriage.
• The word “peridot” gets its origins from the Arabic word faridat, meaning gem.
• Ancient Egyptians believed that wearing a peridot necklace could protect the wearer from evil spirits, cure asthma and ward off the thirst caused by a fever.
• Peridots crystals are found all around the world. Pakistan, Tanzania, Mexico, and Brazil all boast peridot mines.
• The crystals of the peridot are thick and tubular with cleavage and a conchoidal fracture that runs in two directions.
• The largest peridot ever found weighs 300 pounds and is kept at the Smithsonian institute in Washington, D.C.

Yin and yang is the Chinese philosophy used to explain how opposing forces are bound together, intertwined and interdependent in the natural world. The concept of yin and yang is active and yin and yang are thought to arise together from nothingness. Yin and yang will always have certain characteristics.

Yin and yang will always be opposing. For example fall is yin to spring’s yang. A wife is yin to her husband’s yang. Yin and yang are rooted together. This means that they need each other for continued existence. Yin and yang transform each other. Every step forward is followed by a step back. Yin and yang are also balanced. If one goes away so will the other.

The yin and yang symbol is often worn for fashion. A yin yang necklace, bracelet or ring can be an interesting addition to any outfit.

Often associated with the hippy movement and therefore lumped in with the “peace sign” and “smiley face,” the Yin Yang symbol actually has much deeper and more spiritual roots.

Yin Yang was first seen in the Taoist school of thought. It was a visual representation of balance and equilibrium among differing counterparts.

Yin stands in as the voice of the female, which is considered passive, receptive, and cold. Yin is also associated with the moon.

Yang, the sun, is the male voice. This is a more heated and forceful ideal, which is also drawn to movement.

Together, they work to balance each other and create harmony.

Hopefully, knowing the origin of Yin Yang will make the symbol more than just a passing image, and you can wear a Yin Yang necklace or bracelet with a little more understanding about what deeper message it conveys.

 My mom wore the best jewelry.  I still think that everything that I like today is reflective of what she wore when I was a kid.  I remember looking up at my mother, bigger than life, and seeing autumn leaves necklace hanging on her chest.  I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to wear jewelry the way my mother did.
 
She didn’t pay a whole lot for the amazing looking jewelry that she bought.  I thought that that added an extra element of discovery to the jewelry that she had.  I am just like my mom, a bargain shopper at heart that wants to look classic.