Since ancient times mankind has worn symbolic jewelry to bring good luck, love, health, harmony, prosperity and protection. Some of the amulets and talismans we commonly wear have a history that goes back millennia.

Many people wear the same talisman every day to consciously strengthen their connection to their religious beliefs. Christians often wear a cross or a St Christopher medallion, if you were Jewish you might wear a Star of David and Wiccans may carry a pentagram, however you don’t have to be a practising member of a traditional faith group to benefit from wearing symbolic jewelry. I believe that traditional talismans hold intrinsic power, partly due to their sacred geometry, also because of their strong symbolism and their continuous reverential use by so many people over such long periods of time.

When choosing a talisman it is best to select a symbol that has a strong resonance for you, one that calls to your soul. Sometimes it is obvious why you are attracted to a particular symbol as it may be connected with your religion or place of birth, but at other times the resonance is harder to explain until you remember that we have all incarnated many times and you may have formed a strong past life link to a different place, belief system and culture. If it feels positive to you then it will most likely be supportive to your energies, but it is good to do your research on the symbol too. When you are making your choice it is worth remembering that gold is traditionally linked to dynamic male energies and the Sun, whereas silver is traditionally associated with receptive female energies and the Moon. Remember to look up the qualities of any crystals the piece has been set with and ensure they are also in line with your intent.

My own jewelry reflects my spirituality and I choose my pendant on a daily basis to reflect the energies I wish to strengthen within myself or call upon. On some days I may wear the Egyptian Ankh my husband made for me when we were exploring our Egyptian past lives, on others I may choose a cross section of an ammonite that reveals the shape of an angel and reminds me that angelic assistance is always close at hand, on others I'll pick a piece of crystal jewellery with the specific qualities that I feel I need for the day ahead.

It is important to remember these are ‘working’ pieces of jewelry and not just for adornment. They should be treated with respect and before their first use cleansed to neutralise the energies of others who may have handled them previously so that they are ready to work with you and your unique energy. I would advise you keep talismans for your hands only; I don’t allow other people to touch my jewelry. I also advise cleansing all jewelry regularly as pieces can pick up unhelpful energies whilst shielding and protecting you from the many and various vibrations that surround us in our daily lives and also in the process of healing and purifying your own energy.

Jewellery designers Ka Gold, based in Israel, invited me to choose a piece from their range of esoteric jewelry. What a lovely treat! Can you imagine how many happy hours I spent poring over their online catalogue? I had come across their site before and been impressed as they have pieces inspired by a diverse range of cultural and spiritual traditions including Jewish, Tibetan, and Egyptian as well as many sacred geometry designs. I was particularly struck by a winged scarab pendant which incorporates an ethically sourced brightly shining scarab beetle like the most exotic jewel within its setting.

The pieces designed by David Weitzman are a long way from mass produced costume jewelry. He describes himself as a 'a cosmic jewelry artist' and that seems about right. The many testimonial pages of happy customers who have sent in photos of themselves proudly wearing their treasures is a testament to just how different this designer is. I could easily become a Ka Gold collector! Fortunately if you can’t stretch to the gold pieces there are silver versions available for most designs at very affordable prices.

I settled on a Priestly Blessing Star in gold with a smoky quartz centre stone as my gift piece. The Star of David is otherwise known as the Seal of Solomon. Although I have Jewish ancestry and resonate strongly with this symbol I didn’t have a Star of David to wear. The interlocking triangles are a symbol of perfect balance. The upward pointing triangle is male in energy and the symbol of fire in alchemy, whereas the downward pointing triangle is female in nature and the symbol of water. Ka Gold’s Priestly Blessing Star is made even more special as it carries an ancient Hebrew inscription around the outer edge of the Star which is translated,

May the Lord bless and protect you
May the Lord shine his face to you and be gracious to you
May the Lord turn his face to you and give you peace.

Within the Star there are two hands with the fingers parted to form the letter Shin, the hand gesture used by the Cohen when conferring this blessing upon someone.

I was notified when my pendant had been made and was ready to be shipped and it arrived within a couple of weeks in a nice little box with one of David’s crop circle style designs printed in gold on the lid. Sadly the postal services had managed to crush the box, but the contents survived their journey across the world unharmed. Accompanying my pendant was a little paper scroll explaining its symbolic meaning. Apparently the Priestly Blessing is the oldest Jewish talisman and this was received by Moses as he completed the preparation of the Lord’s temple at the time of the Israeli tribe’s journey in the desert.

Do you have to own a piece of jewelry to gain the benefit of wearing talismans? Of course not! Jewelry is lovely because most of us enjoy wearing it and this means we have an attractive and simple means of making and maintaining our connection to the energy we have chosen, however you could simply draw a design with intent upon a piece of paper and keep it in your pocket or wallet, or draw the design directly on your skin with non toxic inks. For a permanent connection with your talisman you could even get a tattoo, that way you'll always have it with you!

You can find out more about mankind's use of sacred jewellery in Barbara Black Koltuv's Amulets, Talismans and Magical Jewelry.