Mikelle Terson likes elephants. The force behind six-year-old MIKELLE DESIGNS is fond of them for their affiliation with yoga (Ganesha is the Hindu elephant god of education, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth) and from lessons with an Indian mentor—a scholar of yoga and Indian philosophy. “He told me, ‘If you are ever in trouble, telepathically call on an elephant,'” she recalls.

Oddly enough, the opposite occurred in fall 2009, when a dream of elephants calling Terson for help woke her from a sound slumber. She had been meaning to donate funds to elephant rescue and relief efforts, such as at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. (elephants.com), but the dream turned the casual thought into an urgent matter.

So Terson created three different sizes of sterling elephant pendant necklaces, each with a diamond eye accent, pledging 10 percent of wholesale sales to the sanctuary and to the DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST in Kenya (sheldrickwildlifetrust.org). The former provides a refuge for endangered African and Asian elephants, while the latter fosters animals that are orphaned because of poaching, relocation, or other loss of habitat. Three weeks after Terson’s dream, a drought struck Kenya, putting many mammals in the reserve in jeopardy. But thanks to Terson’s timely deed, the gentle giants have more help available. “We’ve sold about 30, and we only introduced it the week before Christmas,” she says.

Birthstone Trivia

Legend says that ever since a certain god of the sea gifted aquamarines to mermaids, the stone brought love to all who owned it (making it a good gift for married couples). Who is this mythical god?