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Chakra Jewelry
 Today we'd like to offer a little information about the chakra jewelry that we make and the ideas and history behind the chakra. Chakra is the Sanskrit word for circle or wheel. Ancient theories proposed by Hindu mystics are based on seven chakras that link the body and the mind into one unit - the mind/body connection. It was through the practice of yoga in India many centuries ago that chakras became identified with centers of energy at major points throughout the body. Beginning at the base of the spine and moving up to the skull, there are seven chakras, each associated with a corresponding color. - The first chakra, represented by the color red, is known as the foundation chakra and is located at the base of the spine. It represents the element earth and is related to our sense of being grounded and physically connected with our bodies.
- The second chakra is represented by the color orange and is located in the lower abdomen, lower back and reproductive organs. The second chakra is related to water, emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through our feelings, desires, sensations, and movements.
- The third chakra, the power chakra, is yellow and located in the solar plexus. This chakra signifies the element of fire. It represents the power of the will and aids in metabolism.
- The fourth chakra is green and located in the heart. It represents the element air. When we are healthy, this chakra allows us to be compassionate and to love deeply.
- The fifth chakra, located in the throat is blue. The blue chakra embodies sound and is related to communication and creativity.
- The sixth chakra can be either indigo or dark blue. It is known as the brow or third-eye center chakra and is related to our ability to perceive - both with our eyes and intuitively.
- The seventh and final chakra, also referred to as the crown chakra, is violet and signifies the power of thought. The seventh chakra helps us know and understand the world around and within us.
Many items of Sacred Charms jewelry borrow from the color concepts of the chakra to convey to the wearer those insights and powers embodied within the chakra. The Chakra Om Bracelet, the Kundalini Spiral Necklace and the Small Om Beaded Chakra are three such pieces. A gift of chakra jewelry tells the recipient you are devoted to the health of both her spirit and her body.
Turquoise
 Is it obvious that we have gemstones on our mind all the time? We know this is the third blog this week about gemstones, first Amethyst then Jasper, and now Turquoise. Well, we've been hard at work designing new pieces and have of course been thinking a lot about the gemstones we use and where they come from, ways to use them, etc, etc. The gemstones we have been blogging about have some very colorful history behind them and we figured it was worth sharing as generally people simply admire the beauty of these stones but don't often think about where they come from, how they're made, history, etc. Anyway let's get onto the Turquoise. Across most cultures Turquoise has been regarded as a stone that offers protection to all that wear it. The earliest known uses have been dated to 3,000 B.C where it was found lining the tombs of ancient Egyptians. Later on it was noted to often be worn in the ancient Persian kingdoms in hopes of protecting the wearer against unnatural death. It was from these Persian kingdoms that the stone made its way to Europe and this is also when it got its modern name Turquoise, meaning "Turkish". Several cultures also believed that if the Turquoise changed colors it meant that an unfortunate event was coming to the wearer. While Turquoise can change color it's usually due to body oils, cosmetics, or heavy sun exposure, as the stone is generally porous compared to other gemstones. The color of Turquoise varies from pale blue to dark green. It's the sky blue color which is most sought after and generally the less veins the better, although we like the veins as it is what creates its unique individual qualities, while the pure non-veined variety is more sought after it does not determine value, it has to do more with hardness and color intensity. Because of its porous nature and vulnerability to color change mentioned above, Turquoise jewelry should be worn and stored with a little more care than other jewelry, cleaned after wearing and stored in a separate area from your other harder gemstones that may scratch the Turquoise. To read more on the long history of Turquoise read the Wiki Article. Our Turquoise Jewelry ranges from using a few small to medium sized accent Turquoise beads to larger Turquoise nuggets as a pendant. Here are a few of our favorite pieces that use Turquoise.
The Diversity of Jasper
 Jasper has been said to be the favorite gemstone of the ancient world. Jasper meaning, "spotted stone", has a history in every major culture around the world. Jasper is a form of silica and usually comes in a brown, red, or yellowish hue. Since there are so many forms of Jasper the names for it vary greatly, usually named to try to describe the coloring and patters formed within the stone. Some of the most popular names include, Australian Jasper, Poppy Japer, Egyptian Jasper, Green Jasper, Leopard Jasper, Opal Jasper, and Russian Jasper to name a few. Another type or name that is probably the most desired when it comes to jewelry is the Picture Jaspers, often referred to as looking like a scenic painting or landscape due to the multiple layers and banding that occurs as its created. We've recently launched some great new Jasper Pendant necklaces and are eager to keep working with it as it is such a great stone and has so many possibilities, here are a few of our designers picks that use Jasper as the primary or secondary stone for the piece.
Amethyst
 Amethyst is actually a form of quartz. Its name comes from the ancient Greek a- meaning "not" and methustos meaning "intoxicated", Amethustos. Many wine goblets were faceted or even completely carved from it during that time period, it was believed the power of the gemstone could ward off drunkenness if used while drinking. Its history goes back as far as the ancient Egyptians where Amethyst has been discovered in many pieces of jewelry from that era. Many cultures throughout history have different stories as to where it comes from, its powers, and meanings. To read a very thorough history of the stone check out gemstone.org The Amethyst.  Today Amethyst Jewelry comes in many varieties and styles ranging from your ultra clear faceted gemstone pendants, and ring stones to the more rough cuts directly out of the earth. It also varies in color from very pale pink, to deep opaque purple. Amethyst is also the birth stone associated with February and is associated with the astrological signs of Pisces, Aries, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. Amethyst is rated a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, where a diamond is rated 10. This makes Amethyst a great stone for jewelry. It is mostly mined from South America, but has major veins all over the world. We have lots of Amethyst necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and earrings. Simply use our search box to the left and look for Amethyst and you will see all of our jewelry that has Amethyst in it. These are our designers top picks for our Amethyst collection.
The Cameo Pendant
 When Cameo is used in referring to jewelry it is defined as a carved piece of shell, stone, or glass, usually as a portrait or figure in a pendant for a necklace. The earliest known use of the Cameo dates back to the Greeks around 6th century BC, although the style didn't gain major popularity until the Renaissance era of the 17th and 18th centuries. Today it is very rare to find a individual hand carved Cameo pendant as they are not only time consuming to produce but very expensive and only a small handful of people are considered master Cameo carvers. While all Cameos are still hand carved they are done as a master template and then reproduced with the help of a machine using ultrasonic vibrations and a diamond slurry to shape the piece. These are usually created using agate stones with the most popular colors being blue, red, and green. Here at Sacred Charms we've combined several Cameo pendants with beautiful pearls, seed beads, and other gemstones. So far we have the Blue Buddha Cameo, Red Buddha Cameo, Flower Cameo, and a Cupid Cameo.
The Power of the OM
 The ancient syllable OM or AUM is associated with several eastern religions. Typically Hindu, Buddhism, and Jainism use this symbol and syllable around the use of their prayers and religious scripts, it is used both as a printed symbol and often chanted as a word/syllable before during or after prayer. The OM is often referred to as the symbol of the absolute. In the Hindu religion people will begin their day by chanting this. It is included in many aspects of their everyday life from the covers of presentations, pendants on jewelry, to the birth of a new born child. It is generally regarded as the symbol of spiritual perfection. In the ancient yoga text, "Sutras of Patanjali", OM translates as god's voice. It is generally suggested that when someone chants this sound it must be done in utter and deep concentration to gain a deeper understanding of life and help balance energy to become a more enlightened soul. The OM represents all that is spiritual, god, time, life itself and thus cannot truly be described in words, and that is why it is represented in a symbolic form. We use the symbol frequently in our OM Jewelry in hopes that it can help fulfill an experience that will give our customers a small boost in their everyday quest of enlightenment. To get a full in depth breakdown of all the various religions and meanings of the OM please read this article.
Jewelry Designed with Yoga in Mind
 Yoga is known for helping people both physically and mentally. Yoga is technically defined as disciplines of meditation which can lead to spiritual experience and a great understanding into the nature of our own existence. Often associated with eastern religions Yoga has spread far beyond these beliefs into many facets of common everyday life as well as many age groups, both genders, and various social classes. Yoga can now be done by anyone at anytime. At Sacred Charms we integrate our love for Yoga with our passion for jewelry making. Creating handmade jewelry can often be a very meditative state of being especially in the initial creation of a design. Most of our Yoga based jewelry consists of more natural elements such as large stone pendants, wooden beads, seed beads, and often times use of the OM symbol in the form of a gold or silver pendant to help accent the piece and focus the wearers energy during a Yoga routine or spiritual meditation. As we continue to create new and innovative spiritual jewelry designs we welcome any feedback that you may like to give, weather it is how we might design a piece to fit your personal goals in your spiritual journey or just something to wear out on a Friday night that shows you have a passion for Yoga or says to the world that you are a spiritual person on the never ending path to enlightenment. UPDATE: We've recently covered several of the most popular types of yoga and listed weather or not it would be appropriate or acceptable to wear our Yoga Jewelry during such routines we will add more as time permits:
Leave a comment here in our blog or contact us directly about anything on your mind. Thanks.
What is Gold Vermeil?
 Vermeil (pronounced "vehr-may") is a gold plating process developed in France in the mid-1700s. All Sacred Charms vermeil items have a solid sterling silver core with a 22 karat gold coating. Vermeil is highly popular because it has the heft and appearance of solid gold, but at a small fraction of the cost - especially so now that the price of gold is close to $1,000 per ounce. Check out some of our best pieces that use Gold Vermeil.
Shell Pendant Necklaces
 Our shell necklaces with the laser engraved pendants are very popular for spring and summer. The engravings within the shell create a very intriguing three-dimensional sheen. They are all accented with semi-precious gemstones and coordinating glass seed beads. As with all of our jewelry each piece is carefully designed to be unique, original, and handcrafted with care by our designers in house. These pieces were recently sold at Nordstrom. We have a few left-overs in stock and would love to share them with you.
Belly Chains
 While our belly chains may not be our most popular sellers they definitely get a lot of attention. What is really great about these is that they can be worn not only around the waist as a "belly chain" they can be worn as a long or double wrap necklace, as well as a multi wrapped bracelet. We have also seen several people wear them connected to their belly button piercing which creates a stunning look. To see some close-ups of the different ways to wear our belly chains check out our best seller, the elegant Black & White Wrap Around. We have also just posted several belly chains in our specials section at almost
50% off our standard price for those of you that are seeking a bargain
Circle Stone Pendant Necklaces
 I am very excited that the website is up and running and has some of our new collection. My favorite pieces right now are the Circle Stone Pendant Necklaces. Many of these necklaces have jasper pendants, one of my favorite stones to work with, because of the diversity of the stones. They all look like miniature paintings. Each one is beautiful, yet no two are alike.
Welcome To Our Blog
 Welcome to our jewelry blog. We have worked long and hard to get our new website off the ground. You can purchase with confidence as we are ready to process your order with complete security and reliability on our updated, fully automated website and shopping cart system. Check back often as we are constantly adding new handmade jewelry to the site as well as information right here in our blog about our inspirations, jewelry care, custom orders, gemstone information, tradeshows, and anything else our designers care to discuss. Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment about our new site, if there is anything you like, don't like, suggestions, or ideas.
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Today we'd like to offer a little information about the chakra jewelry that we make and the ideas and history behind the chakra.
