In Celtic Arbostrology, much like Astrology, yet based in Druid Tree Lore, the most common description is:

The Maple Tree (Independent personality) – no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, good memory, learns easily, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, complicated love life, ambitious, proud, wants to impress.
April 11 – 20
October 14 – 23

By focusing on the best qualities of the Maple one may harness the symbolism of the Tree in One’s life. In it’s best aspect the Maple is a tree of Health, Longevity drawing helpful and positive spirits and energy. Wearing the Maple leaf Ring will help One to focus on positive goals, helping others to succeed and providing a nourishing environment for all concerned.

Solid, detailed and durable, each ring is made to order, unusual rings sizes are no problem. I provide the option for an inscription in the inside. Price is provided is for sterling silver, gold prices upon request. To order, please visit my Maple Leaf Ring page.

Combining the treble clef and bass clef as earrings and a sixteenth note as a pendant we have the Grand Staff Collection. the staff, (or stave), is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch. A grand staff is two sets of staffs held together with a bracket. In the case of written music for the piano, the top (typically) is the treble clef and the lower staff is a bass clef.

For this collection, the treble clef (one inch tall) and the bass clef (5/8 inch) are earrings with a sixteenth note (about one inch tall) hung on a 16 inch chain (longer lengths of chain are available when ordering).

I described the Treble clef, Bass Clef and Note Amulet in greater detail in earlier blogs. All available in sterling silver, the sixteenth note had crushed turquoise in the center of the “dot”.

These are a great way to celebrate your love for music! Whether you play an instrument, sing or simply love music, the Treble Clef Earrings are perfect for the music lover in your life. To order yours, please go to the Grand Staff Collection page.

In her words:

“This piece is incredibly personal for me. It represents the beauty and duality in a harmonious twin sign. It further symbolizes the deep bonds I have with my husband and also my best friend who are Pisces. This gorgeous amulet is a tangible expression of my identity I now wear daily. Thank you Kirk!”

For more background on the meanings of the various Astrological symbols, I have the complete Zodiac amulet collection with descriptions and insight on my Zodiac Amulets Page.

If you wish to have something special made for you, please go to my how to order custom page

Music is ancient:
One of the oldest ways to communicate is through music. We find instruments in tombs, illustrated in paintings and sculpture, written about as far back as 2000 BC and expanded upon in every culture on the planet.

Music is powerful:
Those who suffer physical ailments attribute listening to music as a way to ease suffering and calm the nerves. In recent studies, music is credited in increasing brain matter, developing sacred and serene spaces, elevating the poorest of us to fame and stardom.

Music is inspirational:
Both listening to music and playing it has been found to raise the heart and inspire great works of art, science and literature. Music has been harnessed by religions and story telling all over the world.

In celebration of Music itself, I have created the Note Amulet.
This is a sixteenth note (the two flags on the stem marks the interval) and contained within the dot is inlaid crushed turquoise giving the note a touch of the blues. One inch tall with a bail behind the flags.

To order, please visit my Note Amulet Page

Primarily, this is a series of various glyphs, seals and signants (more often referred to as “Pentacles”) which correspond to the Planetary qualities (remember this is Renaissance times, so the moon and sun are included, while the outer planets are not). Each pentacle is attributed to a planet and holds an aspect, yet not all of the qualities ascribed there to. As in most medieval grimoires, magical operations are performed through the power of (the Christian or Hebrew) God, to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking protection.

It is interesting to note here, the acknowledgment of other celestial beings beyond Jesus, the saints and angelic beings, even the pentacles themselves (although attributed to the “planets”) hold the names of the Old God(dess)s.

Over the years I have created many of these seals, one of which I produce regularly in my line of Jewelry: the fourth Seal of Jupiter. Many of the seals were made for private use and not for public view. I was given permission to display in my gallery: The Key of Solomon. This is a two sided Talisman, designed, developed and produced to be carried on a daily basis.

The Solar side holds the Third seal of the Sun

“serve to repress the pride and arrogance of the Solar Spirits, which are altogether proud and arrogant by their nature, acquire Kingdom and Empire and to acquire renown and glory, especially through the Name of God, Tetragrammaton, which therein is twelve times contained”

Because the piece was to be shaped like a key, I designed the piece to reflect the side of the seal it corresponds: hence I created a sunburst for the solar side and extended “Yods” down the shaft of the key itself.

On the reverse side of the seal is the First Pentacle of the Moon:

“serve to call forth and invoke the Spirits of the Moon; to open doors, in whatever way they may be fastened”

This pentacle uses a hieroglyphic representation of a door or gate, here I used the flairs of the opposite side to create the crescents of the moon, the “bright side” of the lunar representation showing out ward. Again (similar to the other side) Yods extend down the shaft, similar to the Moon Tarot Card.
The shaft itself is composed of the Cross of Matter, “Earth”. This both grounds the piece adding foundation to the piece and provides a direction for manifestation.

The entire piece is two and a half inches long, each seal is a one inch by one inch piece of Sterling silver with the Key cast in bronze.

This Key of Solomon a one of a kind piece and is currently in a private collection.

If you would like something made for you, please visit my how to order custom page.

These Bass Clef Earrings are 5/8” tall, including the top bail. Small and simple, a subtle way of presenting your love of music. It represents the foundation of a group, the “floor” if you will. In light of modern times when the Base has grown beyond the simple Tonic and Dominant notes of a chord, an innovative way to help and support others grow in their own expression. Like the Bass Player in a band, One may reach beyond the expected into the realms of innovation.

To get your Earrings, please visit my Bass Clef Earrings Page.

We do this with most things: we place a human face on things we find strange or incomprehensible; in this way we may begin to relate to it in a way we may understand.

A smiling Solar Face beams down upon us giving light and warmth to all who may receive it. A classic image of spring and summer, beach bunnies and those who acknowledge the Sun God of Old. This rendering of the Sun gently smiles upon us from beyond our reach. The twelve rays represent the zodiac and ringed together to complete the Amulet.

This piece is ¾” in sterling silver: available in gold – prices upon request. To get yours, please visit my Little sun Amulet page.

The F Clef looks like a reversed “C” with a trailing tail and two dots: one above and one below the fourth line indicating the “F” on the staff. This is the only F-clef used today, so that the terms “F-clef” and “bass clef” are often regarded as synonymous.

This clef is used for the cello, euphonium, double bass, bass guitar, and many other instruments. When used in the Grand Staff (two staffs: one above the other) indicates the notes written below middle C and used for the Piano, the concert harp and other keyboard instruments.

The Bass in many instrumental groups is considered the “floor” of a combo. In more recent groups in Jazz, progressive rock and metal, the base and grown in use, developing a simple “um-pa” bass line (as we often hear in polka music) to powerful and melodic lines. Such bass players as Les Claypool (Primus), Jack Bruce (Cream), Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd), and Tony Levin (King Crimson) often stretched the edge of the bass. One example is Chris Squire in the piece “Close to the Edge” where it seems the bass guitar is playing duet with the lead.

In celebration of Bass Players and everyone who loves music, I have created the Bass Clef Amulet. This piece is 5/8” tall, including the top bail for hanging on a chain or cord. Small and simple, worn as a pendant is a subtle way of indicating your love of music. It is also intended as a charm for a bracelet or to be hung on an instrument. As an amulet it may represent the position of the foundation of a group, the “floor” if you will. In light of modern times when the Base has grown beyond the simple Tonic and Dominant notes of a chord, an innovative way to help and support others grow in their own expression. Like the Bass Player in a band, One may reach beyond the expected into the realms of innovation.

To get your Amulet, please visit my Bass Clef Amulet Page.

A client asked me to fix a piece she had worn for many years. As does with most things, it wore out in some places and broke in others. After spending some time with it I spoke with her about simply “re-doing” the pendant, however instead of duplicating the piece, I altered the design.

The stones are in the same configuration, an amethyst positioned above the top point of a double terminated Quartz and an opal mounted in the front. The alterations were in the metal. These were simple bands of silver. Replaced with a new design: the setting of the quarts is now a lantern with vines and leaves growing all around it, creating settings for the other stones. The handle of the lantern is again wrapped in vines and leaves.

The result is a heavier piece, but used as a pendulum, the extra weight gives it more of a “swing”. Shown here it is mounted on a fresh chain.

This one of a kind Crystal Lantern now is in a private collection. If you wish to have something unique made for you, please visit my How to order custom page.

The folks at the local store here in Newport News Virginia were more than helpful: the staff at the local Ace are the model of Southern Hospitality. Curious, intelligent and even helped me to fix various parts in my shop. When my Wax Injector was failing, one young Gentleman offered to help out and was able to assemble the various fittings to get my shop up and running again.

Once the spring was found, I actually re-designed the interior of the money clip so the spring would hold in place properly for ease and extended life. For several years my trip down to Ace Hardware was noted as a “outing” for me, able to peruse the aisles, check out the latest in devices and visit with new friends working the help desk and purchase springs.

However, I have been facing a problem as of late: the springs which brought me to Ace Hardware were out of stock, so I asked the folks at the shop to see if they could re-order. Yesterday I got a sad phone call. Apparently the Upper Management in their (infinite) wisdom decided they no longer wished to wholesale the springs form Century Spring Corporation – a California Based company – and decided to go with a cheaper brand from outside the United States: Taiwan in fact.

I don’t begrudge someone getting a job anywhere in the world, however in a time when the US is in such trouble and there is actually a US based company already supplying parts, I recoiled. Ace Hardware’s promotion is that of a neighborhood store, yet they have made the decision to go with a Taiwan Base supplier – that simply does not make sense to me.

I sprung into action and called Century Springs in California and spoke with a couple of folks out there and it was confirmed: Ace Hardware went with a foreign company to supply their springs because it was cheaper to purchase them from Taiwan. The most alarming thing about this (outside the fact that the Taiwan springs didn’t fit my Money clips) was Ace is actually charging more for the imported springs!!!

My Scot Blood Boiled.

The folks at Century Spring Corporation assured me I would find their products at Truevalue, so I bounced to a city close by (adding an extra 20 minutes in travel time) and able to find a store in Grafton, Virginia I re-supplied and was pleased.

Because of this issue, I will be purchasing the springs directly from the corporation in California when I run out, however it is good to know Truevalue, a real neighborhood shop is there for me.