No, I didn't make this... exactly.

This was actually something that I had made while I was here in Iraq, hand crafted in Kuwait. I just drew the design for it, and it didn't end up looking exactly like I wanted it, but I still think it ended up looking pretty wonderful none-the-less. Although, someday I’d like to take up jewelry making as a personal hobby, since I'm like a raccoon to shinny objects...

Anyways, this is more sentimental than interesting. And it a symbol I've come to associate many things with. To most it might appear as just a boring old sun, but in reality, it’s so much mooooore... *ahem* Yeah, well, it is... Let me explain.

But where to begin? Well, this is what a lot of thought and artistic genius (I'll just keep telling myself that) has guided me to believe is the ultimate symbolic representation of what is most important in my life. It comes to represent what is most valuable to me, because that's exactly what it supposed to stand for... “Value.”

Throughout the ages, in every generation, though every corner or the world, and in all other cultures, gold has always been the material that has been weighted against everything... From a spot of land, to a human life, gold has been put above it all and the only thing that is more valuable than gold is more gold. It is quite possibly the most valuable thing to all of mankind. Of course, I don’t actually place the value of this directly on the gold it's self (it's not terribly expensive) but instead the symbolism behind it.

And, I try pretty hard to enhance this symbolism throughout the entirety of the design...

For starters, the entire piece (aside from the gem) is made in gold. Also, if you look at the host of the pendant, it's a circle within a circle... which is the alchemic symbol for gold, and then there is the word Aurum (which I’ve affectionately taken as my artistic identity) which is Latin for gold as well. Finally, the entire symbol becomes an obvious sun—the sun having rather powerful ties with gold and such... as well as being the center of our little universe, etc...

That's only half the story behind this though. I paid special attention to make sure to get a necklace that would both work on a male and a female, the reason being is that I plan to eventually give this to that special someone in my life. The one that is most valuable to me, and that little center of my universe. The birth stone with most likely be replaced with that of the recipient too.

And... I dunno, I think that's it... I guess I put 10 little flames on it because the number 10 is also symbolic of perfection or completeness. I've also broken 10 down even further for another personal that I don't feel like confiding. Also, the water drops are representative of life and the people around me. Not really all that profound really, but I liked it. I hope you guys like it too, and I'd of liked to have made this with my own hands like a real artist would, but what'cha gonna do...?