Creating Memories for Memorial Day

Memorial Day represents different things to different people. For most of us, it is a time to remember and acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice given by our military and armed forces to protect our freedoms. What does that have to do with making beautiful handmade jewelry? Honestly, not a lot, other than the fact that it's a blessing to live in a place where that is possible to do.

Fun Fact: Memorial Day was originally called "Decoration Day," as it was the day when citizens would close up their businesses and lay flowers and other decorations on the graves of fallen soldiers. 

In honor of Memorial Day, Rebecca has created a special bracelet named simply "Patriotic." This unique piece is composed of three types of stones in red, white, and blue: Garnet, Mother of Pearl, and Sodalite, respectively. Each stone has unique characteristics. Garnet, a deep red stone, will bring you confidence in yourself, the pure white Mother of Pearl promotes positivity, and rich blue Sodalite encourages intelligence and communication. The bracelet is almost 8 inches long and 1/4 inches wide.

Fun Fact: Memorial Day is based on community remembrance events that began as early as 1866 to honor the thousands of soldiers who died in the Civil War. 

Rebecca produces these pieces one-by-one, finding the perfect stones in each mine she visits and honing them into the stunning jewelry you find on her online store. If "Patriotic" isn't your style, she has many other pieces available in necklaces, earrings, pendants, and more. Here are some other pieces you may enjoy:

Sodalite is featured again in these stunning earrings. They could make a beautiful match with the "Patriotic" bracelet, or be paired with numerous other jewelry pieces and outfits. The bright blue color shines against oranges and yellows especially. The earrings are about 1 inch long and they are mounted on sterling silver lever backs.

This third featured piece is composed of garnets and rose quartz. The garnets form part of the chain, and bring confidence while the rose quartz is thought to represent love. The rose quartz was mined in Franklin, North Carolina at Cowee Mountain Mine and it is hung on a 19-inch sterling silver chain. The pendant measures 1-3/4 inches by 1-1/4 inches.

Fun Fact: In 1968, Memorial day was set as the last Monday of May to give a 3-day weekend to federal employees and finally made a federal holiday.

If you are lucky enough to have a three-day weekend coming up, it's not a bad idea to take some time to appreciate the sacrifice of our fallen heroes. In between the shopping sales and the (hopefully) outdoor barbecues, it is always great to remember how blessed we are. There are several events throughout Northern Virginia to attend, including of course the memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery.

Whether you want to request a matching piece to something you love on Rebecca's online store, or you want something completely custom, do not hesitate to contact Rebecca with your requests. She loves to create and will work with you in finding the right elements to design your perfect jewelry piece.

Be sure to read more about Rebecca's story and the tales behind each of her creations on her website. Follow this blog to learn more about the process of creating jewelry and to see more of the beautiful things that Rebecca designs.

Resources:
History.com