beading Archives – Fingering Zen

Posts tagged "beading"

Moon cycle tracking necklaces and bracelets

Menstrual cycle discussions have long been a taboo in the Western society. So much so, that girls entering puberty have little idea what it entails, as even their mothers are hesitant to speak about menstruation. As a result, women struggle to understand their cycle, have trouble coping with period irregularities and pain, and often treat their moon time as a nuisance. We need to reclaim this lost knowledge: it can help us take charge of our fertility, learn to live in harmony with our cycle, and welcome our daughters into womanhood.

We grow up so disconnected from our own rhythms, in a culture that teaches to suppress our own instincts in favour of external priorities. We lose touch with what our bodies tell us, we push ourselves too hard, and end up with menstrual cycle irregularities that often lead to fertility issues. There are groups of women all over the world organizing Red Tents once a month, where women gather in circles and share their triumphs and their worries. We talk about getting in tune with your cycle, understanding how your body works, and harnessing the strengths of each stage of the cycle to seize control of your fertility, creativity, productivity, and to know thyself.

Learning about the moon cycle, I got inspired to create something beautiful, deeply personal, yet not necessarily known to an external eye, – a piece of jewellery to wear with a movable charm to indicate where you are in your cycle. Such a bracelet or necklace can reside in a privacy of a bedroom, be worn openly as an accessory, or be used as a subtle reminder to our family members whether we are in need of more rest. These gemstone and crystal jewelled calendars can, of course, be used for fertility-awareness purposes. To know when your ovulation is lets you know when it is best to try conceiving or abstaining, whatever your reproductive goals are.

I have created moon cycle tracking necklaces and bracelets, using crystals, gemstones, and glass beads. I make them custom for each woman, based on her cycle length and ovulation date. There are a variety of movable charms and colour combinations to choose from. The necklace length differs depending on the cycle length, but can be adjusted to be longer.

The gemstone I use to make the bracelets

Red Carnelian is said to stimulate and balance the female reproductive system, reduce stress and anxiety, and help protect against miscarriage.
Labradorite symbolizes the moon and the sun, and is known for promoting strength, reducing stress and anxiety, assisting with digestion, and transformation.
Unakite is said to promote healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Garnet is said to promote devotion, bring love and compassion, balance sex drive and emotions, and indicates commitment to a purpose, as well as clarity of thought and intention.
Agate is a stone of relaxation and calm. It assists in grounding, pain relief, and balancing Yin and Yang energies.
Lapis lazuli aids in harmony, inner peace, and healing, strengthens bonds and brings self-confidence.
Amethyst is said to bring stability, strength, and peace, promote balance and healing, and reduce stress.
Aventurine is said to bring love, promote luck, optimism, self-confidence, and happiness, encourage pregnancy and enhance fertility.
Malachite is said to bring luck, promote physical healing, encourage creativity and transformation.
Chalcedony is said to bring tranquility and optimism and to promote lactation in nursing mothers.
Moonstone is known for balancing emotions, regulating menstrual cycle, boosting female energy, and calming anxiety. It is said to bring love and grant wishes.
Snow Quartz promotes peaceful sleep and soothing dreams, and is associated with empathy and harmony.
Turquoise is associated with protection, strength, alleviating negativity, grounding, and courage. It is believed to bring love and luck.
Rose Quartz is protective in pregnancy and birth. It balances emotions, helps with emotional healing, and is associated with forgiveness, compassion, and releasing anger and fear.

The charms and their symbolism

Tree of Life – immortality and fertility
Birth Goddess – fertility, birth and growth
Butterfly – fertility, rebirth, transformation
Turtle – fertility, longevity, good fortune
Key – liberation, knowledge, initiation, way to one’s heart
Horseshoe – good luck and protection
Dragonfly – joy, lightness of being, good luck, transformation, and harmony
Frog – fertility, love, giving birth to new life
Elephant – fertility and pregnancy

How to use your moon cycle tracking necklace or bracelet

I have also designed a card explaining how to use the moon cycle tracking necklace or bracelet which I send along with the order.

Example: a 28-day cycle with ovulation on day 14. First day of the cycle is indicated by a single pink bead, followed by 6 more non-fertile days, then 9 fertile days in wine colour (7 days prior to ovulation and 2 post-ovulation), ovulation itself is marked by a larger crystal. The necklace is completed by 12 non-fertile days of the luteal phase. The smaller beads pad the necklace so it can be long enough for wear.

Whether your goal is to conceive, to avoid pregnancy, or to get in touch with your cycle, these necklaces and bracelets are a stylish personal way to keep track of your cycle and your fertile days. Take a minute each day to move the charm and focus on where your body is right now in its natural rhythm.

Pregnancy tracking necklaces

Pregnancy is a magical time. The day you find out you are pregnant, your world changes. Suddenly, your body is more than that: it is a vessel for another human being. The following weeks will be filled with discoveries about the strength of your body and the depth of your love, anticipation of feeling the baby move and hearing their heartbeat, and counting the months and days before you get to meet your baby.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I found a browser-based little applet to keep track of which week of pregnancy I was in, so I could plan my time and anticipate various milestones. However, I have found computer-based trackers to be very impersonal and cold. I realized that I wanted something more palpable, like Tibetan Mala beads, to finger each week, to think on the baby growing inside me, and to acknowledge another week that passed, by moving a charm. So for my second pregnancy, I have created a gemstone pregnancy tracking necklace. I have enjoyed quiet minutes of contemplation while holding it and acknowledging the passing time. It helped me get grounded in the moment and connect with my growing baby. After birth, I realized that the necklace is a beautiful keepsake that I can save to share with my child in the future.

As I went on maternity leave, I have started playing with gemstones some more, and have created more pregnancy tracking necklace designs. There are beautiful gemstones that are connected to pregnancy, lactation, birth, moon cycles, compassion, sex drive, self-confidence, happiness, and strength. Since I have enjoyed my necklace so much, I am now offering these necklaces in my Etsy store, with customizable charms, including the Birth Goddess, the Tree of Life, and a variety of other designs. A pregnancy tracking necklace makes a great gift for a pregnant mama, and will become a gift for her baby after the birth.

The necklaces have 43 large beads, indicating the number of weeks your pregnancy might last. Trimesters are indicated in different colours, and there are separators for every 10 weeks, so you can tell where you are at a glance.

The different gemstones I use in my pregnancy tracking necklaces

Red Carnelian is said to stimulate and balance the female reproductive system, reduce stress and anxiety, and help protect against miscarriage.
Labradorite symbolizes the moon and the sun, and is known for promoting strength, reducing stress and anxiety, assisting with digestion, and transformation.
Unakite is said to promote healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Garnet is said to promote devotion, bring love and compassion, balance sex drive and emotions, and indicates commitment to a purpose, as well as clarity of thought and intention.
Agate is a stone of relaxation and calm. It assists in grounding, pain relief, and balancing Yin and Yang energies.
Lapis lazuli aids in harmony, inner peace, and healing, strengthens bonds and brings self-confidence.
Amethyst is said to bring stability, strength, and peace, promote balance and healing, and reduce stress.
Aventurine is said to bring love, promote luck, optimism, self-confidence, and happiness, encourage pregnancy and enhance fertility.
Malachite is said to bring luck, promote physical healing, encourage creativity and transformation.
Chalcedony is said to bring tranquility and optimism and to promote lactation in nursing mothers.
Moonstone is known for balancing emotions, regulating menstrual cycle, boosting female energy, and calming anxiety. It is said to bring love and grant wishes.
Snow Quartz promotes peaceful sleep and soothing dreams, and is associated with empathy and harmony.
Turquoise is associated with protection, strength, alleviating negativity, grounding, and courage. It is believed to bring love and luck.
Rose Quartz is protective in pregnancy and birth. It balances emotions, helps with emotional healing, and is associated with forgiveness, compassion, and releasing anger and fear.

The charms and their symbolism

Tree of Life – immortality and fertility
Birth Goddess – fertility, birth and growth
Butterfly – fertility, rebirth, transformation
Turtle – fertility, longevity, good fortune
Key – liberation, knowledge, initiation, way to one’s heart
Horseshoe – good luck and protection
Dragonfly – joy, lightness of being, good luck, transformation, and harmony
Frog – fertility, love, giving birth to new life
Elephant – fertility and pregnancy

How to use your pregnancy tracking necklace

I have also designed a card explaining how to use the necklace, which I send along with every necklace order.

When you receive the necklace, place the charm after the bead indicating the number of weeks you are along in your pregnancy (e.g., if you are 15 weeks along, place the charm after bead 15). You would start from the end that has 10 large beads as its first segment.
Each week on the same week day as the estimated due date (e.g., Sunday) move charm by one bead.

If you do not know how far along you are in your pregnancy, here is how to calculate it (there is a free online tool that can help you with date subtractions):Once you find out your estimated due date, note the day of the week (e.g., Sunday, Nov 3, 2013).

Subtract 40 weeks to get the start of your pregnancy (e.g., Sunday, Jan 27, 2013).
Subtract the start of your pregnancy from the current date (e.g., Tue, May 12) to get number of days (e.g., 107) and divide by 7 to get number of weeks (e.g., 15 weeks 2 days). Place the charm after that bead (e.g., you are now 15 weeks along).

Pregnancy is the time to slow down, listen to your body, learn about your strength, and connect with your baby. Take a minute each week on the same day to move the charm and focus on where your body is right now in your pregnancy journey. I wish you a peaceful birth and a wonderful babymoon.

Inspirations for birth and fertility jewelry

Christmas in July blog has published an interview with me, discussing what inspires my work. Below are a few excerpts from the interview:

How did you get started on Etsy?

I have always liked making things with my hands, and after I’ve gifted beaded bookmarks, earrings, and necklaces to friends for various holidays, someone suggested I create some for sale. A painter I know pointed me to Etsy as an alternative marketplace for artists and crafters. Once I had some time during a maternity leave, I decided to try opening an Etsy shop and have listed a few pieces. My first sale came 3 months later when someone bought five bookmarks to gift to members of their book club for the club’s anniversary. That made me decide to keep going.

What got you interested in making fertility and menstrual cycle jewelry? How does it work?

We grow up so disconnected from our own rhythms, in a culture that teaches to suppress your own instincts in favour of external priorities. I have had issues with my cycle my entire life. We lose touch with what our bodies tell us, we push ourselves too hard, and end up with menstrual cycle irregularities that often lead to fertility issues. There are groups of women all over the world organizing Red Tents once a month, where women gather in circles and share their triumphs and their worries. They talk about getting in tune with your cycle, understanding how your body works, and harnessing the strengths of each stage of the cycle to seize control of your fertility, creativity, productivity, and to know thyself.

One of the ways to get in touch with your cycle, is to keep track of where you are in it. Certain times of the month call for rest, others for undertaking complex projects, yet others for socializing. There are various charts and calendars a woman can use to follow her cycle. I wanted to create something that could be beautiful, deeply personal, yet not necessarily known to an external eye, – a piece of jewelry to wear with a movable charm to indicate where you are in your cycle. It can be used in a privacy of a bedroom, worn openly as an accessory, or used as a subtle reminder to our family members whether we are in need of more rest. These gemstone and crystal jewelled calendars can, of course, be used for fertility-awareness purposes. To know when your ovulation is lets you know when it is best to try conceiving or abstaining, whatever your reproductive goals are.

Following my creation of menstrual cycle tracking bracelets and necklaces, I have come up with pregnancy-tracking necklaces as well. Who can ever remember which week they are in? Computer-based trackers are so impersonal and cold. I found, I wanted something more palpable, like Tibetan mala beads, to finger each week, to think on the baby growing inside me, and to acknowledge another week that passed, by moving a charm.

My first pregnancy and the following few years brought more awareness of birth, life, and beauty to me. I have discovered the Blessingway ceremony and was moved to create a variety of Blessingway beads to honour expectant mamas’ rite of passage. Blessingway is a Navajo ceremony that has been adopted by women of many cultures to bring the awe, support, and attention to the budding mothers. Baby showers focus on the baby and on the material things for the baby. Blessingway (or Mother’s Blessing) showers the mother with love and understanding from other women. As part of the ceremony, each woman brings with her a bead and strings it on a cord, while sharing words of wisdom and love with the mama-to-be. Together the Blessingway beads make a necklace from which the pregnant mama can draw strength throughout the last weeks of her pregnancy and in labour.

I participate in several birth-related initiatives in Ottawa: there is a Positive Birth Movement, the CHOICE! Birth and Baby film festival, Mothers of Change, and Consumers Supporting Midwifery Care, and I talk to many mothers. There is not much support for pregnant women in our society. There is lots of advice, horror birth stories (why is it we never hear the good ones?), fears, pressures, medical tests, and obligations. Yet a key piece is missing: women need support of other women who have been there, they need to draw upon this well of strength and knowledge, to embrace pregnancy, birth, and the wonders of babymoon. I have had a Blessingway for my second baby, and it was wonderful. Now I wish to inspire women to surround the pregnant mama with love. That love will blossom in her and in her child, and that is the best birth gift anyone can give.

Are there any other crafts that interest you or you wish you could master?

I am fascinated by work of silversmiths. I like goth aesthetic and fantasy, and enjoy working with gemstones in beading, so I would love to explore the blending of stones and silver designs in those styles. However, my youngest baby is only seven months, and my hands are full these days. Perhaps I shall venture down that path at a later time.

What is your favorite color and why?

This is a very tough question. If I absolutely had to pick one, it would be blue – the sky blue, the almost-blue lilac, the bluish purple, and a myriad of other shades of blue. But I love the blackest black of the starry sky, the green of the young shoots in the spring, the deep blood red, and so many more colours. Colour is a medium for me, and I play it like an instrument.

Inspiration hits after confinement

After being confined for a week in a children’s hospital isolation room, I came home with a raging desire to create something – anything! It seems, I cannot sit on my hands even for a week without designing something new. The baby needed quite a bit of sleep to recover in the couple of days that followed which gave me a chance to work on the new Blessingway bead collection.

Oh my, how I missed making beautiful things with my hands! They say, once you start working with beads and gems, you want to keep handling them, arranging them in designs, getting more of them, – and I have come to realize and accept that. It is addictive! Yet it does calm me so, to be feeling the texture of the lampwork beads and the weight of the gemstones, and to see the play of colour when sunlight touches them.

I have acquired some new lampwork beads, and this new Blessingway bead collection incorporates them as well as a few old favourites in new settings. There are the fire-opal-red petal beads that I find absolutely stunning: they feel of depth and intensity of blood and fire; and the amber coloured beads that seem to capture sunlight. There are new purple flower beads, tender spring green beads, and more of the bright green, orange, and red flowers that remind me of Ireland. There are over 20 new Blessingway beads in this collection, each one made with love and thought.

Playing with the components, I have discovered that I had some key rings, and so I set out to make a collection of keychain charms as well. I have been asked in the past to modify goddess earrings I made into a charm, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore the idea. My inspiration resulted in a set of five keychain charms: blooming red, spring green, river blue, yellow tulips, and meadow flowers.

I have also made a new version of my Snow Lace pregnancy tracking necklace, since someone had purchased the original. Even stringing gemstones into an already existing design was extremely relaxing. So much so, that I have decided to bring another favourite back – my Fallen Leaves necklace.

All in all, the week following the isolation has felt very rewarding, as I drifted away to a different reality with The Lord of Chaos audiobook and my hands moved to create beautiful items.

Conception of Pregnancy Tracking Necklaces

When I was pregnant, I could never remember how many weeks along I was. Having a little browser applet helped (since I work so much at the computer), but it was rather impersonal. This is when the idea of pregnancy tracking necklaces came to me. Something I can touch and cherish, something to connect me with the changes my body was going through, and to be there after as a keepsake for the baby and a memory for me.

Semi-precious gemstones seemed like a perfect medium: with their earthy feel, uniqueness of each bead, and slight variations in size, such a necklace would be a truly one-of-a-kind treasure. There is something therapeutic in holding and playing with the beads – after all, mala and rosary beads have long been used for focusing on one’s thought in prayer or meditation.

Additionally, some gemstones are associated with qualities helpful during pregnancy. For instance, red carnelian is said to stimulate and balance the female reproductive system, reduce stress and anxiety, and help protect against miscarriage. Snow quartz promotes peaceful sleep and soothing dreams, and is associated with empathy and harmony. Labradorite symbolizes the moon and the sun, and is known for promoting strength, reducing stress and anxiety, assisting with digestion, and transformation. Green aventurine is said to bring love, promote luck, optimism, self-confidence, and happiness, encourage pregnancy and enhance fertility.

Since pregnancy is so different for every woman, I also thought it would be nice to offer a selection of charms, so that every mama can find the one that appeals to her. I have also made sure to allow the count to go up to 43 weeks. Many healthy pregnancies do not follow the imposed time guideline of 40 weeks, and the estimated due date is just that – an imperfect estimation often based on imprecise knowledge of the conception or LMP date. At the end of a pregnancy, the last thing a mama needs is stress, and I wanted my pregnancy tracking necklace to add a grounding and reassuring element to the excitement preceding birth.

And so I have gathered a variety of beautiful gemstones and set off to experiment with colour and texture combinations. I must say, having worked with beads for a while now, handling gemstones has a different energy to it. I feel more grounded and calm, the stress tends to melt away, and inspiration comes easily.

I have now created over 10 different designs of pregnancy tracking necklaces (including a couple of custom ones), and out of all the ones I’ve made so far, I think Milky Way necklace is the one I would love to use myself. With the rainbow moonstone showing iridescent blue, lapis lazuli bringing in many shades of darker blue, followed by the gentle milky blue of chalcedony, this would be my favourite colour combination. Also, chalcedony is said to promote lactation in nursing mothers, so I used it for the third trimester, when the milk comes in.

To remind mamas how to use their necklace, I have created a card with an illustration and an example. The only involved part is calculating the start day of your pregnancy, which only needs to be done once. I will cover this calculation in another blog post. However, once you know the start day, the only thing to do is to move the charm one bead further on the same day of the week. Although I myself would likely have an urge to play with the stones of the necklace a lot more than once a week.

Just writing this post has me yearning to pour myself a cup of tea, open up the treasure chest of gemstones in my studio and delve into creating more necklaces.

Birthday Weekend

This weekend has been far from boring. I spent most of the day Saturday putting together a few snacks and playing with the kids, which was followed by a few people coming to share in my birthday. After the celebrations and late night clean-up on Saturday, Sunday was more relaxed. I have managed to indulge in several of my favourite activities.

I have slept in until 9:30 and then connected with a friend to pass on a braided fertility necklace to her. She has discovered it is my birthday from social media, and has brought me an unexpected gift of soaps: cucumber and calendula, lavender and tea tree, and oatmeal. I love Easter European traditions of giving birthday gifts. My love also gave me two clever gifts: a Dali melting clock, and a Canon lens collection cup.

We had leftovers for breakfast, and headed to Ikea for the breastfeeding event happening in the sofa section. The goal was to thank Ikea for their great breastfeeding and baby-friendly practices and highlight the importance of public breastfeeding, since it has a significant impact on mothers breastfeeding to term. I also wish other businesses took notice of what Ikea is doing to implement family-friendly practices, and followed suit. It is surprising how many “family-oriented” establishments lack such simple accommodations as a changing table (especially in men’s washrooms) or a place to safely put a baby down (when a baby is not yet able to sit up on their own, but is not confined to a bucket car seat).

The atmosphere at Ikea was great: I have chatted with a few friends, CTV was there to cover the story, we have spoken to Ottawa Citizen, and ended up participating in an ad hoc focus group for a Carleton breastfeeding research study, which lasted for a while after the official event was over. My older child was rather enjoying the play area during that time.

Afterwards, I have cuddled my babies to sleep at home, and took a break with a lager and some smoked salmon for lunch. During their nap time, I have spent some time puzzling and listening to The Wheel of Time – The Shadow Rising – in other words, in my zen state.

After a break to feed the baby and rock her back to sleep, it was time to pull out my newly-arrived gemstones and play. I have just found beautiful beads of lapis lazuli and blue-white chalcedony, and combined with turquoise, amethyst, moonstone, and rose quartz, they have made three new pregnancy tracking necklaces and two new fertility/cycle tracking bracelets. In a few days, I will make them available for purchase on Etsy.

Gemstones, md

Lapis chalcedony fertility and pregnancy tracking necklaces and bracelets, design, md

Lapis chalcedony fertility and pregnancy tracking necklaces and bracelets, md When the children were up, we brought out the leftovers and a large 100-piece United Kingdom puzzle (the largest my oldest has ever attempted). We sat on the floor with food and drinks, doing the puzzle and listening to some music. That was a lovely quiet way to spend the evening. We stayed up later than usual, the kids had their baths, and there was more cuddling them to sleep. After all was peaceful and quiet, my love and I had some time to ourselves. A wonderful way to spend my birthday, I must say.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Golden tree of life – Czech fire-polished glass

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180328254/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-golden

This handmade pendant features seven bright Czech fire-polished glass beads with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the gold-plated pewter tree of life charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Elephant – Czech fire-polished glass

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180398734/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-elephant

This handmade pendant features seven bright Czech fire-polished glass beads with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the brass elephant charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Spiral Goddess – Czech fire-polished glass

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180519415/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-spiral

This handmade pendant features seven bright Czech fire-polished glass beads with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the gold-plated pewter spiral goddess charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Tree of Life – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180608863/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-tree-of

This handmade pendant features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the pewter tree of life charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Dragonfly – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180596888/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-dragonfly

This handmade pendant features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the dragonfly charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Frog – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180596704/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-frog

This handmade pendant features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the bejeweled frog charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow necklace, brass – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180595654/seven-chakras-rainbow-necklace-brass

This handmade necklace features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, framed by a brass chain. Beautiful necklace to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Golden Tree of Life – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180596346/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-golden

This handmade pendant features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the gold-plated pewter tree of life charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Seven Chakras, Rainbow pendant – Spiral Goddess – Swarovski crystals

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180608587/seven-chakras-rainbow-pendant-spiral

This handmade pendant features seven bright Swarovski crystals with one for each colour of the rainbow, representing the seven chakras, crowned by the pewter spiral goddess charm. Beautiful pendant to keep you connected with the energy flow within your body.

Beading: Blessingway bead – Blue River Flower Key

Available for purchase on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/176938945/blessingway-bead-blue-river-flower-key

Beading: Pregnancy Trimester Tracking Necklace – Pick your charm – Sunlit Meadow – red carnelian, labradorite, unakite, garnet

Available for custom order on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/179992940/pregnancy-trimester-tracking-necklace

Beautiful pregnancy tracker and a keepsake, this necklace made with red carnelian, labradorite, and unakite is a wonderful gift to an expectant mama. A movable charm with garnets is used to indicate the current week of pregnancy. This necklace can be worn or kept on a bedside table, on a desk, or in a purse. The necklace arrives in a gift bag ready for giving, with an instruction card on how to use it.

When ordering, please pick a custom charm for your necklace from those pictured in the last photo. Please allow 3-5 days for the completion of the necklace. See below for the shipping time estimation.

The necklace is about 18 inches (46 cm) long. The necklace has 43 large beads, indicating the number of weeks your pregnancy might last. Trimesters are indicated in different colours, and there are separators for every 10 weeks, so you can tell where you are at a glance. Take a minute each week on the same day to move the charm and focus on where your body is right now in your pregnancy journey.

The stones used in the making of the necklace:
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Red Carnelian is said to stimulate and balance the female reproductive system, reduce stress and anxiety, and help protect against miscarriage.

Labradorite symbolizes the moon and the sun, and is known for promoting strength, reducing stress and anxiety, assisting with digestion, and transformation.

Unakite is said to promote healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Garnet is said to promote devotion, bring love and compassion, balance sex drive and emotions, and indicates commitment to a purpose, as well as clarify of thought and intention.

The following charms are available:
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Tree of Life – symbolizes immortality and fertility
1. Diamond-shaped antiqued pewter Tree of Life
2. Coin-shaped gold-plated antiqued pewter double-sided Tree of Life
3. Coin-shaped antiqued silver-finished pewter double-sided Tree of Life
4. Circle-enclosed gold-plated antiqued pewter Tree of Life
5. Circle-enclosed antiqued pewter Tree of Life

Birth Goddess – symbolizes fertility, birth and growth
6. Gold-plated antiqued pewter Birth Goddess
7. Antiqued pewter Birth Goddess

Butterfly – symbolizes fertility, rebirth, transformation
8. Small antiqued pewter Butterfly
9. Antiqued pewter open-winged Butterfly
10. Antiqued brass-finished steel Butterfly
11. Gunmetal-finished steel Butterfly

Turtle – symbolizes fertility, longevity, good fortune
12. Pewter Turtle with fleur-de-lis cutout
13. Antiqued silver-finished pewter round Turtle
14. Antiqued pewter double-sided Turtle

Key – symbolizes liberation, knowledge, initiation, way to one’s heart
15. Antiqued silver Key
16. Gunmetal Key
17. Antiqued gold Key
18. Antiqued brass-finished pewter Key
19. Antiqued silver-finished pewter Key with Maiden-Mother-Crone symbol

Horseshoe – symbolizes good luck ad protection
20. Antiqued pewter Horseshoe

Dragonfly – symbolizes joy, lightness of being, good luck, transformation, and harmony
21. Antiqued gold-plated brass Dragonfly
22. Gunmetal-plated brass Dragonfly
23. Silver-plated brass Dragonfly

Frog – symbolizes fertility, love, giving birth to new life
24. Antiqued silver-finished pewter Frog with crystals
25. Antiqued silver-finished pewter Frog

Elephant – symbolizes fertility and pregnancy
26. Antiqued brass-finished pewter Elephant
27. Antiqued brass-finished pewter black Elephant

How to use the pregnancy necklace:
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1) When you receive the necklace, place the charm after the bead indicating the number of weeks you are along in your pregnancy (e.g., if you are 15 weeks along, place the charm after bead 15). You would start from the end that has 10 large beads as its first segment.

2) Each week on the same week day as the estimated due date (e.g., Sunday) move charm by one bead.

If you do not know how far along you are in your pregnancy, here is how to calculate it (there is a free online tool – http://www.wolframalpha.com/ – that can help you with date subtractions):

1) Once you find out your estimated due date, note the day of the week (e.g., Sunday, Nov 3, 2013).

2) Subtract 40 weeks to get the start of your pregnancy (e.g., Sunday, Jan 27, 2013).

3) Subtract the start of your pregnancy from the current date (e.g., Tue, May 12) to get number of days (e.g., 107) and divide by 7 to get number of weeks (e.g., 15 weeks 2 days). Place the charm after that bead (e.g., you are now 15 weeks along).

Beading: Pregnancy Trimester Tracking Necklace – Pick your charm – Wild Flowers – amethyst, labradorite, unakite

Available for custom order on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/180005037/pregnancy-trimester-tracking-necklace

Beautiful pregnancy tracker and a keepsake, this necklace made with amethyst, labradorite, and unakite is a wonderful gift to an expectant mama. A movable charm with amethyst is used to indicate the current week of pregnancy. This necklace can be worn or kept on a bedside table, on a desk, or in a purse. The necklace arrives in a gift bag ready for giving, with an instruction card on how to use it.

The stones used in the making of the necklace:
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Amethyst is said to bring stability, strength, and peace, promote balance and healing, and reduce stress.