How the State of the World Can Inspire a

Signature Jewelry Design

© by Baya Gatter; all rights reserved

What influences the design of a certain piece of jewelry? Does the design reflect something that is very personal to the artist, or can the artist be a free spirit and go with the flow - and even surprise her/himself with the final outcome?

Positivity=Prosperity Pendant/Brooch,
designed by Baya Gatter, made by her father N. Gatter.
Available at Eternal Fine Jewels, Ruby Lane.

Many artisan designers/jewelers have a certain design genre that represents their individual and unique style - their pieces are as unique as their signature.

You can see this with many internationally known designers as their pieces are sold worldwide.

While people are attracted to jewelry at first by its beauty, they also can connect and relate to jewelry at an emotional level. You have often heard that expression, "there was just something about that piece that I was drawn to".

When one wears such a piece, there is a deeper and often more significant meaning for the individual.

For many months I spent countless hours thinking of the type of piece I wanted to design - it had to be a piece that was not only attractive but inspirational in that it would remind the wearer to focus on the beauty of life, living to your full potential and having a positive attitude.

The answer came from a higher source. One day I woke up with two words in my mind - positivity equals prosperity.

For the past several months I've spoken to so many people that have been affected by the current global crises. As well, every time I open the newspaper or watch the news, the words are so powerfully negative - recession, economic hardships, unemployment, foreclosures, depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.

Now for someone who practices positive affirmations everyday, who is upbeat, happy and always smiles (and no I don't live in Disneyland) I had enough of the daily negative reminders. We get it, we know!!

How we handle, react and accept things are key to our emotional and spiritual well being.

As well, our inner dialogue or self-talk is the key to how we handle and react to situations. Have you ever noticed that when you think of something that brings you joy, recall a happy event or think of a single word that is positive, you feel good and most likely have a smile on your face and calmness may come upon you.

Three of my favorite words are sunshine, blessings and positive.

These words are spoken or thought of interchangeably everyday depending on the situation.

The world needs a shake-up to get out of this negative mind set. When you are positive you are prosperous in all areas of your life - relationships, health, work, emotions, etc.

We cannot control what is happening in the world, but we certainly can take charge of our mind set and change the way we think, react and accept things in our lives.

Being positive is a state of mind, and the world needs to embrace a new way of thinking in order to change all the negative energy.

You can dramatically improve the quality of your life especially your health.

I truly believe in my heart that these two words, positivity equals prosperity, are an inspiration from a higher source. I believe we can all find an inspiration in our hearts if we truly reach out, but also reflect within ourselves.

When you are positive in your thought, attitude and actions you are prosperous in all areas of your life.

I wanted to capture in my design the essence of my thoughts that would uplift one's spirit, re-energize the psyche, change the inner dialogue and mind set so that when one wore this piece, the words positivity equals prosperity would be their reminder to think, react, act positively - but most importantly to believe in themselves that they can make a positive difference in their lives by focusing on only the good.

There is a symbol in the world that reaches all cultures.

Its meaning is universal, it knows no boundaries and it brings people together - the heart. The heart, as we all know, represents love.

It also signifies compassion, graciousness, kindness, joy and is the core of our emotions. There are also expressions of the heart that we use when we want to amplify an endearment about or referring to someone - "giving heart", "heart of gold", "good hearted", "good hearted laugh".

The framework of my design was definitely centered on the heart, yet I wanted to incorporate within the heart something that reflected change - a new beginning.

It had to be something that was naturally occurring and flowed harmoniously - it had to be the perfect balance, but most importantly, it had to be representative of nature.

Everything came full circle as I found the perfect symbol. This symbol represents birth, growth, maturity, change, new beginnings and freshness - a leaf.

Leaves epitomize "new beginnings" with each new season as they start off as a bud and then "grow" and "change" as they reach "full maturity".

From a historical perspective, leaves such as the four leaf clover or shamrock represent fame, wealth, abundance, happiness, good luck. For those that desire change, a leaf represents "turning over a new leaf".

The heart shaped leaf epitomizes the grace and beauty of all that is symbolic of a heart and leaf. Call it the perfect union - a marriage made in heaven.

The leaf had still not come full circle since I had to find a way to embed the letter "P" within the leaf. Again, it had to be a natural part of the leaf, but also had to stand out.

Positivity=Prosperity Ring,
designed by Baya Gatter, made by her father N. Gatter.
Available at Eternal Fine Jewels, Ruby Lane.

As I was sketching out various "P's", I finally hit the nail on the head. The straight line of the "P" is the primary vein in the center, while at the same time, the letter is raised to stand out.

It has now come full circle and I am so proud to "unveil" the Positivity=Prosperity Ring and Positivity=Prosperity Pendant/Brooch.

The journey for these two inspirational pieces of wearable art began with a thought, followed by a spiritual message.

This vision was followed by numerous sketches, which my father, N. Gatter, an Artisan Jeweler, made into a reality.

This dual collaboration has truly been a family affair.

My father and I put our hearts and souls into these creations that we hope will bring as much joy to the wearer as it has to us in designing and making the positivity=prosperity jewelry.

When the ring or brooch are worn and as you carry about your daily activities, your inner dialogue, and mind set should reflect the new you:

I am empowered for greatness.
Today is a new day
and nothing and no one is going to get in my way.
I walk proudly and hold my head up high.
I am positive, strong, energized and confident
and can accomplish all.
I will shoot for the stars
because I am a shining star.
I believe in myself.
I speak, act and think positively.

These two symbolic pieces of jewelry are your reminder that you are living all facets of your life in a new direction - positively.

The Positivity=Prosperity jewels are an expression of passion, a reflection of endurance to persevere through positive thinking . . . a way of life.