sterling silver and gemstone jewelry

A pear-shaped briolette crafted from luminous purple amethyst and a natural rose quartz bead dangle from a black leather cord to create this lovely necklace presented by the Balinese workshop of Ketut Sulastri. A small sterling silver charm hand engraved with a banyan tree hangs alongside them, featuring a textured and oxidized finish.

This floral medallion with multi colored petals is designed to energize the chakras. From Alok Jain, the sterling silver necklace is studded with amethyst, quartz, iolite, citrine, peridot, garnet and carnelian. The gems total 1.3 carats and their colors relate to a specific chakra: clear and light purple stones are associated with the 7th chakra (awareness and wisdom); the purple, violet and indigo gems with 6th chakra (insight and perception), and the blue or light blue with the 5th, that of communication and truth. Green and pink stones are for love and compassion, linked to the heart, on the 4th chakra. For inner power and will, the 3rd chakra is associated with yellow gems, whereas emotion and sexuality are linked to red and orange gems for the 2nd chakra. Black gems are used to stimulate the 1st chakra, that of stability and security.

In Sanskrit, chakra refers to an energy vortex through which vital universal forces are channeled, and there are believed to be seven in the human body. When all seven are aligned the person feels a healthy sense of well-being.

.925 Sterling silver.

Hanzi are characters used in Chinese writing. As early as the sixth century A.D., many of these characters began to be simplified and adopted into Japanese writing, where they're known as kanji, a term that is more widely used in the West. Artisans in Yiwu, China, create these pendants by using sterling silver and the lost-wax casting method. Each character emulates the sweeping brushstrokes of traditional calligraphy. Choose based on birth month, favorite color, or simply the symbol that resonates with you most.

January: Garnet/Beauty, February: Amethyst/Generosity, March: Blue Topaz/Affection, April: White Quartz/Love, May: Green Quartz/Sweetness, June: White Pearl/Longevity, July: Carnelian/Perfection, August: Peridot/Purity, September: Iolite/Protection, October: Pink Tourmaline/Happiness, November: Citrine/Artistry, December: Turquoise/Imagination.