Interesting

For each Pendant, over time, we will try to describe it's History & Meaning. If you have additional information to share, we welcome your input. Just send it to info@gijewelry.com. It might just get posted here.

1* This logo was originally designed in 1986 by Lt. Gary Paul Johnston of the Shaker Heights Ohio Police Department. It is meant to indicate that a Police Officer or Soldier has only one "ass-to-risk" for his Community and or Country. For a story on the History of the 1* click here.

A A The circle stands for the whole world of Alcoholics Anonymous, whereas the triangle stands for the three legacies of: Recovery, Unity, and Service.

ANKH An Ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that reads Eternal Life. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. It is also associated with vampirism as a form of protection.

AUM The Aum is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or before any prayer. It is also is said in the beginning of any religious ritual.

BYZANTINE CROSS The Byzantine cross dates back to the fourth Century Emperor St. Constantine, who was responsible for bringing Christianity to the Roman Empire. Byzantium officially began with the establishment of Constantinople. This era was to see the creation of excellent art, architecture, and jewelry by the Romans, Greeks, and Christians.

CELTIC CROSS A Celtic Cross is a symbol that combines the Cross with a Ring surrounding the intersection. It is the characteristic symbol of Celtic Christianity, though the symbol has older, pre-Christian origins. Such Crosses formed a major part of Celtic art. This design is also referred to as the High Cross, Irish Cross, or the Cross of Iona.

CHAI This design is a combination of the Hebrew letters Het and Yud which together, mean Living. In Judaism, the word is used an emblem of charity, longevity, and good fortune. Gematrically, Chai enumerates to 18 and therefore, the number is associated with the life force and the immanent presence of God. It is entirely due to this symbolism that Jewish charitable giving is traditionally in multiples of 18.

CRESCENT & STAR The Crescent moon, often with a five or six pointed star, became a prominent symbol for Islam early in the 19th century. Later in the twentieth century under Ottoman influence, a number of countries with Muslim majorities adopted variations of the Crescent and Star for their own flags.

CROSS The simplest and most common Cross is the Latin Cross, which may not have come into use until the 2nd or 3rd Century. The empty cross, usually favored by Protestants, reminds Christians of the resurrection, while the crucifix, with Jesus on it, favored by Catholic and Orthodox churches, is a reminder of Christ's sacrifice.

GREEK CROSS This cross is usually encountered in Eastern Orthodoxy and Early Christianity It’s also known as the crux immissa quadrata, which means it has all arms of equal length.

HAMSA This ancient symbol, most commonly known as the Hamsa or Hamesh Hand, is used as a protective amulet by both Jews and Muslims. The name Hamsa is derived from the Semitic root meaning "five".

HUMANIST This symbol represents an individual who follows Humanism, which is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

ICHTHYS This is the ancient and classical Greek word for fish. In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish. It is said to have been used by early Christians as a secret symbol and is now known colloquially as the sign of the fish.

LONG CROSS See Cross.

MENORAH One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the Menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple. The Kohanim lit the Menorah in the Sanctuary every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups.

MEZUZAH This personal icon is representative of an actual Mezuzah (from the Hebrew for doorpost), which is a small parchment inscribed with short Torah passages in Hebrew.

NEVER AGAIN This pendant was created to remind us all of the atrocities which took place during the Holocaust, and to pledge that never again, will we allow this to happen. The design consists of an octagon shaped background which represents a “Stop Sign”, the NA for NEVER AGAIN, and the Magen or “Star” of David, which is not only the national icon of the State of Israel but also symbolic of the “Yellow Star” worn on the clothing of, and used to identify Jews, during the Holocaust.

ORTHODOX CROSS This Cross consists of three bars, the lowest bar low and slanted. The top bar represents the INRI sign placed over Jesus' head. The meaning of the slanted bar is not known for sure however, but it probably represents the St. Andrew's cross which looks like an X.

PENTACLE A Pentacle is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper, or metal, upon which the symbol of a spirit or energy evoked, is drawn. It is often worn around the neck or placed within the triangle of evocation.

Originally, the Pentacle was used in Mesopotamia as a sign of imperial power. It was also used by early Christians. In fact, it has been used by many groups and has meant many things. Today it is used primarily by Wiccans to represent a positive spirit over the four elements bound together ie: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.

The fact is, that the Pentacle represents neither good nor bad…it’s mostly just misunderstood.

(Note: The Pentacle has been associated with satan worship however, contrary to popular belief, satan worshipers use the inverted pentagram).

ST. CHRISTOPHER Considered to be the Patron Saint of Travelers, St. Christopher served Christ by helping people cross a dangerous river. He is depicted on the Medal holding the Christ Child while crossing this same river. The reward for his service was that his staff was transformed into a living tree.

ST. MICHAEL Considered to be the Patron Saint of Soldiers, St. Michael's historical triumph in Battle over Lucifer, is depicted on the Medal with the Archangel (St. Michael), spear and knife in hand, towering over a defeated Lucifer which is represented by a fallen Dragon.

STAR OF DAVID The Star or Shield of David is universally recognized sign of Judaism and Jewish identity. It has however, only achieved this status in the last 200 years. Before that time, it was chiefly associated with magic. In our own day, its universal Jewish popularity, especially as the symbol of the State of Israel, has made the question of its origins moot.

WHEEL OF LIFE This symbolizes the Buddhist perspective on life. The real Wheel of Life contains within it, numerous symbols of Buddhist themes and teachings.