Since time immemorial, humans have imbued objects with supernatural abilities; they could heal, attract prosperity, guard against witchcraft or plain ol’ ill will.
Egyptians made amulets for both the living and the dead, creating an eye of Horus or a scarab out faience or stones like jasper and turquoise. The Greeks carved talismans out of bone and wood into cornicello horns or knots. In the Philippines, belief in the power of an agimat or anting-anting persists alongside dominant Christian traditions.
The use of protective talismans and decorative jewelry often overlap due to the inclusion of rare or prized materials like semi-precious stones or metals. Nowadays, ancient and even religious designs have made their way into everyday jewelry. Meghan Markle is often seen wearing a necklace or bracelet with an evil eye, a penchant she shares with her stepmother-in-law Queen Camilla, and Instagram’s Eva Chen is almost always with her jade bracelet.
But it’s not always about the object itself. Sometimes a charm’s luck may be borne out of a story: your first pair of birthstone earrings or a gold necklace bearing a religious image (blessed of course). There are also priceless heirloom pieces, perhaps South Sea pearls or diamond earrings worn only on the most special of occasions. “The tendency to give substantial visible form to an abstract idea is so deeply rooted in humanity that it must be looked upon as responding to a human necessity,” writes George Frederic Kunz in The Curious Lore of Precious Stones.
Getting personal
Many, if not all of those concepts play a role in Kristine Dee’s recently launched jewelry collection, “Essence.” Done in collaboration with her longtime friend and certified Konmari consultant Christine Dychiao, the collection of colorful and customizable jewelry hopes to evoke joy for the discerning Filipina, the kind that will hopefully last until they pass it on to the next generation.
At the collection’s launch the Rockwell Club welcomed guests with a large sign containing images of various gemstones, their corresponding zodiac sign and attributes, as well as a fun fact, like how Egyptians crushed lapis lazuli and used it as eyeshadow, how aquamarine was believed to prevent sailors from drowning, and how Romans used the ruddy carnelian to seal important letters. Guests got up close and personal with the jewelry pieces and were asked to mix and match stones, chains, beads, and clasps. Dee encouraged everyone to act freely and to let the stones “call out” to the wearer.
Healing stones
“Those emerald earrings aren’t just there for their beauty, but also for the purpose the emerald stones bring to the wearer,” the jeweler and industry designer explains. “It is an exchange of joy between the piece and the person wearing it.” Unsurprisingly, aquamarine, lapis lazuli, and sapphires, known to facilitate communication and a sense of calm, were popular stones during the event, which drew many media professionals.
For those looking to reduce stress and anxiety, Dee adds blue moonstone, London blue topaz, and iolite to the list. “Blue promotes calmness and peace,” she says. In the same way, green stones like emerald, reminiscent of lush rain-fed fields and forests, evoke rebirth and fertility, while sparkling yellow stones like citrine attract wealth and positivity.
“I love lapis lazuli, turquoise and corals. I am drawn to their protective powers as they are said to block negative energies,” says Dychiao, who, apart from helping people declutter their lives, also runs a podcast and writes about fashion sustainability and mindfulness. She adds that the two blue stones are great for the immune system while coral nourishes blood cells.
“A new addition to my anting-anting arsenal is chrysoprase which is not a very common gemstone. It’s a calming stone great for relaxation and peaceful sleep,” she adds with a laugh.
Going local
One of the reasons Kristine Dee Jewelry is a go-to for many women is her design aesthetic, which Dychiao describes as “fun and wearable, yet still refined and elegant.”
While it’s a dream to own certain pieces from big international brands, having a custom creation from a local designer or artisan is a unique and fulfilling experience as well. Not only can they breathe new life into jewelry that may no longer be sparking joy, but they can also collaborate on one-of-kind pieces.
Dychiao, who used to write a popular and well-regarded fashion blog, suggests looking for reputable jewelers and cultivating relationships. “As you get to know each other well, it becomes easier to work together to find or create your own perfect pieces,” she says.
She recalls an instance bringing Dee tiny beads of garnet and onyx that were just sitting in a jewelry box “gathering dust,” which the jeweler turned into two necklaces.
“Kristine brought out the beauty and power of those stones [...],” says Dychiao. “[She] would design it such that it becomes jewelry that I would really wear and enjoy. It feels like play!”
Passing it on
Beyond the thrill of creation, Dee points out that having a jeweler lets one rework vintage pieces, which is not only more economical, but also promotes fashion circularity.
“Vintage would mean at the time when gold was still cheap so the gold or the mountings or the designs were almost heavier or gold-heavy or metal-heavy,” says Dee, “compared to today wherein the design is calculated to use less of gold or the metal. Because gold is so, so, so expensive right now. It’s at its highest peak more than ever!”
Price isn’t the only reason for today’s lighter jewelry. Advances in techniques and technology have made jewelry easier to wear. “There is ease of use because the jewelry piece is more lightweight on the body and we can wear it more comfortably. We can wear it with less strain on the neck and ears. I think that’s very important, too,” Dee says. But beyond simply having something “new,” reworking vintage pieces allows them to be used, as they ought to be.
“We are being more economical, practical, mindful and resourceful,” says Dee, “[by] reusing and repurposing what we have and making do with what we have for our use and for the future generation’s use.”