Your Personal Signature Piece

As darling little girls, we had our dolls or plush teddies that never left our sight. Or there's always the princess in us that tried for at least a week to wear that sterling, rhinestone encrusted tiara to claim our royalty. Though we once considered our plush friends as our much admired signature companions, they have been replaced with a vintage ring that may have been handed down to us, or simply was the most glorious find ever. I have always admired the idea of having one's own personal signature piece, so I will share a couple of my own.

I don't know if you dolls have noticed, but in all of my outfit posts I am wearing the same round, silver pendant about my neck. I truly wear it every day. I originally bought it a few years back in a farmers market in Irvine and was drawn to its raw beauty, but even more so what it stood for. The woman selling the jewelry had brought these pieces directly from Nepal, and was selling them in effort to support fair trade. Every piece had so much character, beauty, and wonderful craftsmanship. I had gone on wearing it all this time not knowing what exactly it meant until I came across the most lovely woman from her blog, goddess of the confluence. Her blog and travels are so intriguing, and though she is originally from Ohio, she is currently a  wholesale supplier of jewelry, beads, artifacts and artwork from Nepal, focusing on preserving the traditional artist. I recommend taking some time to look through the archives of her blog, it's amazing! She ended up providing me with the information of my beloved pendant, and what I found out was incredible.  Apparently, the pendant that opens is called a gao and is used to contain holy relics or significant items that indicate you are on the correct path. On the back of the gao is a protective blessing called the Kalachakra Mandala basically providing peace and balance. It was truly astounding to me what I had been missing all this time, making it mean that much more to me.

Another piece I wear on a daily basis is my feather earring. I wear it not so much for means of fashion, though I love how it looks, but as a symbol of freedom and also for the meaning it holds in Native American culture as a representation of the Creative Force. To add to its special meaning to me, the one I've been wearing recently, I bought with a friend of mine at an art walk. She wears one while I wear the other. :)

So please dolls, go on and tell me about your signature pieces! I am so interested to hear!

Even better, email me a picture of your pieces, or of you wearing them, and I'll feature you all on a blog post to showcase the unique beauties of your possession. ♥

currently listening to: chocolate- snow patrol