Last week, when I interviewed psychotherapist and life coach Asha Terry, she noted that those feeling rage and sadness, or a kind of compounded grief, during these complicated times, may find comfort in their religious and spiritual beliefs.
“That may [also] include working on their spiritual practices to help them to forgive,” she said during our conversation.
With this in mind, a new collection from the Los Angeles–based line Colette may be one way to find some solace and peace. Christian iconography is used to articulate the collection’s central theme: that the jewelry we wear can be a kind of armor, protecting us from harm as we move forward through the chaos and an uncertain future with clearer minds and open hearts.
Titled Santos y Cielos, the collection is French-Mexican designer Colette Steckel’s take on talismanic jewelry. Many of the pieces incorporate enamel medals that depict the Madonna, putti, and Christ, all hand-painted on porcelain using the Limoges technique.
“It’s inspired by the medallions I made for my father for luck and protection that he wore daily prior to his passing,” says Steckel. “The pieces are meant to be worn close to the heart to give the wearer strength, reminding them that there’s a powerful force protecting all of us in the heavens above. There is so much pain and uncertainty in the world right now, and I think our talismans have the power to harness faith and hope.”
The painted medals commingle with vintage charms, medallions, and watch chains that the designer sourced in Paris and London antiques markets.
Steckel has also added some newly minted single charms to the mix. These have a vintage feel and include a mano figa pendant, a famous evil-eye buster (that’s also steeped in sexual symbolism) and a favorite among charm collectors.
Behold a few more heavenly things, below.
Top: Madonna necklace with hand-painted porcelain medal and vintage charms, and diamond, yellow sapphire, and tsavorite accents in 18k yellow gold, $22,000
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