Tree of Life Jewelry

You've no doubt seen wire-wrapped tree pendants. If you haven't tried making your own wire-wrap tree of life designs, you're missing out on a beautiful base motif with huge amounts of personalization opportunities.

What is the Tree of Life?

The tree of life is an ancient symbol that appears in numerous cultures the world over. The meaning of the tree of life is most often a connection of three worlds: heaven, Earth and the underworld. The tree of life in jewelry depicts branches reaching upward while roots ground the tree, symbolizing the link between all three worlds.

What Does the Tree of Life Mean?

Each culture with a tree of life has additional lore or mythos. For instance, the Christian tree of life sat at the center of the garden of Eden, the original paradise Adam and Eve resided in after creation. The Norse had Yggdrasil, also known as the World Tree, a gigantic tree that connected not three worlds, but nine worlds. Yggdrasil sits at the center of Asgard, a dwelling place of the gods. This World Tree represented the cycle of life from birth through growth, into the transition or death and then to rebirth. One of the most well-known depictions of the tree of life comes from the Celts. The Celtic tree of life symbolized the same connection between the stages of life as well as its abilities to provide shelter, bear fruit and even provide warmth when burned. The tree of life was also a symbol of continuity and immortality since a tree bears seeds that perpetuate the tree's existence.

Non-Cultural Tree of Life Definitions

The tree of life is not just a cultural representation. Trees themselves have long been attributed multiple connotations. Fruit-bearing varieties have life-giving qualities. Trees, especially immense sturdy varieties, are a symbol of strength with a solid foundation. With such a strong rooting in the here and now, the tree is free to branch out and grow; a metaphor for our own desires to be both rooted and strive for new heights. Tree of life jewelry is especially pertinent for gifting around large life changes such as graduations or milestones for this reason. Of course, trees have also been a long-standing symbol of family with the branches representing growing families that stay connected to each other.

For all these reasons, the wire-wrapped tree of life pendant is not only popular, but deeply meaningful. The tree of life appeals to an incredible variety of demographics and styles. Perfect for gifting, create varieties of the tree of life that suit you, your gift recipient or your clientele. Here are some personalization ideas to get you started:

The Basics: Tree of Life Pendant

There are two different common bases for the wire-wrapped tree of life. First is a twisted tree created in the open space of an open base, occasionally with a flat round "moon" visible through the branches. The second is a tree created on the surface of a gemstone slab, bead or cabochon so the gemstone color is the backdrop displaying through the open area and branches.

The wire branches are left as is or adorned--one of the favorite embellishments is to use gemstone beads or chips. Even if you've never wire-wrapped before, the tree of life design is a forgiving starting point since the roots, trunk and branches can be as neat or gnarled, as sparse or as numerous as you want. If wire is a new medium to you, you may want to read the ''All About Jewelry-Making Wire'' guide to get the basics before beginning. We recommend starting with Zebra Wire™ for tree of life jewelry.

Personalized Tree of Life Ideas

Aventurine Metaphysical Properties

This stone is believed to be a positive stone of prosperity, diffusing negative emotions, reinforcing leadership, promoting compassion and encouraging perseverance. It is a stone used to promote open-mindedness and the ability to see alternatives and possibilities, which is why it is considered a lucky stone for gamblers! Green aventurine eases mental and emotional trauma, dissolving negative thought and bringing calm.

Similarly, try choosing gemstones associated with specific chakras. There are seven major chakras associated with the body: crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root. Each chakra represents specific qualities with emotional, spiritual and physical connections, as well as associated gemstones.

Since a wire-wrapped tree of life pendant will dangle from the neck, consider using gemstones related to the throat and heart chakras. Of course, you don't have to design with only those chakras in mind. If someone wants to wear a gemstone associated with the solar plexus to help "unblock" or "cleanse" that chakra, then try using amber, citrine, yellow calcite or tigereye. Read the ''Chakras and Their Gemstones'' article to learn more about these connections and which gems are associated with which chakras.

Additional Tree of Life Jewelry Opportunities

While wire-wrapped tree of life pendants offer the most customization options, you can easily apply many of the above concepts to pre-existing tree of life jewelry components by adding birthstones, gemstones or just leaving them as is. Discover tree of life pendants, bead cages (perfect for capturing gemstones or aromatherapy inserts), drops and many more ready-made supplies.

There are also wire tree bases that allow you to make interesting tree décor. The galvanized wire is sturdy, without making the design top heavy. Just choose your gemstone chips--about 400 fills the small tree and 800 for the large tree. Of course, gemstone chips aren't the only beads you can use. Take any of the ideas above or your own twist to make new variations! Make your own wire bases, too, if you'd like to customize the shape of the tree or other design elements.

The only limitation is your imagination! Which wire, embellishments and backgrounds will you use for your handmade tree of life pendant designs? What special messages and stories will you tell through your choices? What other personalization ideas have you come up with while reading? This author is thinking of trying to make a braided wire tree trunk or a wire-wrapped gemstone at the base from which the tree is growing, ooh or ...