Niki de Saint Amour wears the Rose Cut Diamond Talisman Pouch Necklace, Ra Signet, Rollo Band, and Peace Sign Earring - all intentionally-created pieces. Photo by Andrew Vanasse.
Recently it occurred to me that, despite putting a lot of time into intention and blessing with all of the pieces I make, I don’t actually talk about this part of my process a whole lot. I mean, in some ways one would think this is obvious - the jewelry line is called “Talisman” after all, right? But with marketers throwing around buzzwords with little true meaning backing them up, I figured it was probably time to explain this lesser-known part of what I do.
The goal of Talisman Fine Jewelry has always been to create sacred jewelry that inspires deeper meaning for the wearer, and supports them on their path. While the Talisman Pouch Necklaces might be more obvious versions of that - literally meant to carry tiny talismans in them, and act as talismans themselves - another important part of the overall jewelry-making process for me involves holding each piece, and imbuing it with blessing and intention, and then letting them energetically “charge” on my personal altar for at least a night. Most pieces have also been conceived from the get-go with a particular deity or energy in mind, meant to channel that particular vibration for the wearer. When I make custom jewelry - something I love to do - I also spend time thinking about what the customer needs or wants from the piece, and try and imbue it with that energy as well.
Jen wears the Demeter Cigar Band, Yin Yang Necklace, Petite Rollo Band, and Ra Signet. Photo by Chiara Garland.
Yes, this all gets fairly woo-woo. Spirituality is a big part of my existence, from daily meditation to mysticism, animism, divination and tarot, among other things. So naturally that spirituality has come through in the art I make. It wouldn’t be authentic to me if it didn’t. But, that’s not to say that Talisman Fine Jewelry is only for the woo-woo. I’m an odd mix of fashion girl (17 years and counting in the industry) and “new-agey hippie chick” - a mix that might be perplexing for some people. What can I say? That’s just who I am: I love adornment, I love expressing myself and helping others express their true selves through adornment, and I especially love sacred adornment. I’m also admittedly a little bit fancy… unapologetically so. This is the essence of Talisman in a nutshell. The fashion person in me, and really the artist in me, is drawn to certain shapes, lines, and designs that I think can be appealing even to those who might miss or might not care about the deeper meaning. And that’s intentional too. Talisman is for everyone - man, woman, nonbinary, woo-woo, traditional. That’s the beauty of abstract art: it allows the user to find themselves within it.