Anyone familiar with the work of Los Angeles–based jewelry designer Andrea Fohrman knows well that her collection is abundant with celestial motifs, from twinkling stars and lightning bolts to her very famous rainbows expressed in arcs of colored sapphires.
The moon is also a favorite inspiration, with crescent moon shapes appearing as the centerpiece of a ring here or as the most delicate ruby-accented sliver of a pendant there.
Expanding on this theme, Fohrman recently introduced a Moon Phases collection, complete with an automated Moon Phase Finder—customers are asked to plug in any date of significance to them to reveal charms/pendants that capture the corresponding moon phase associated with that date.
“The moon represents powerful feminine energy,” says the designer. “It signifies wisdom, intuition, birth, death, reincarnation, and a spiritual connection, and every phase of the moon has a unique visual characteristic and spiritual meaning.”
For kicks, I plugged in my birth date and discovered that waxing crescent moons are associated with being assertive, adventurous, and filled with joyous curiosity about life.
Then I put in my daughter’s birthday, a lunar event I remember well because the full moon—and a sudden rise in barometric pressure—is possibly what triggered her early arrival. According to Fohrman’s website, full moons are associated with individuals who are practical, organized, ambitious, and idealistic.
New moons—the moon phase that correlates to my mother’s birthday—are associated with individuals who are spontaneous, not planners, and act on intuition, living in the moment.
Ideally, I’d start with these and assemble a “calendar” of important events commemorated by Moon Phase charms. The goal: to end up with something like this:
With personalized jewelry being such a logical, and ubiquitous, choice for Mother’s Day gifts, I love how the Moon Phases collection departs from the usual initial/monogram or birthstone fare. It’s thoughtful and unexpected and deeply meaningful with a modern mystical vibe that makes it feel au courant.
Top: Jewelry designer Andrea Fohrman captures the different phases of the moon in a variety of gold, enamel, and gemstone combinations. Clockwise from top right: Large waning/waxing gibbous moon necklace in 18k gold and diamonds, $5,500; jumble of assorted Phase of the Moon charms; First Quarter/Last Quarter moon necklace in 18k gold, diamonds, and red enamel, $2,660.
Follow me on Instagram: @aelliott718
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
