Religious Jewelry in Kenya- Silver, Pendants, Necklaces

Religious jewelry is used to symbolize the faith of the wearer. Depending on the different religions, the jewelry acts as protective talismans to protect them from evils spirits and dangers while providing them with humility and strength. There is jewelry to inspire those who believe in different faiths including:

Christian Jewelry

Christians wear jewelry to remind them of their faith in God. The pendants or medals in Christian jewelry depict either the image of God, Jesus, saints and the blessed mother. Some of the medals also commemorate spiritual events like the day one received their communion or the day they were ordained. They can also commemorate places like shrines or historical events like a holy year or the apparition of the blessed mother.

The jewelry comes in different forms including:

1. A rosary either worn around the neck, around the finger in the form of a ring or attached to a key-chain.
2. Pendants with different symbols including:

•      The dove that symbolizes the holy spirit,
•      The vine that symbolizes the connection between Christ and the Christians.
•      The sacrificial lamb as a symbol of the sacrifice Christ made.
•      A cross against a heart as a symbol of the sacrifice and love of Jesus.
•      Crucifix to symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus.
•      Cross to symbolize the Christian religion.
•      Pendant with Jesus, saints or guardian angels to symbolize the patron saint of the wearer, as a form of protection or devotion.

Most of these have prayers to accompany them. They can be inscribed on the medals or associated with them. They help the faithful invoke the intercession of the person associated with the medal.

Hindu jewelry

Wearing of spiritual jewelry for the Hindu’s,stems from a deep-rooted sense of marking every life occasion with symbols, figurines and designs. They are used to ward off evil and to help obtain good fortune. They also symbolize feminine energy at its utmost perseverance, strength and power. They include:

1. The Rudraksha which is used to protect against negative energies, gives a calming effect to those suffering from anger, irritability and anxiety and for good health.
2. The Om pendant protects the heart from external attacks. If it has the Lord Ganesh symbol, it is believed to bring good luck to the wearer in their professional ventures and personal life.
3. The jewelry with a lotus flower is believed to give spiritual awakening.
4. Others include the Swastika, the Shri Talisman and many more.

Muslim Jewelry

The Muslims have a variety of jewelry including

1. Arabic faith message pendants and lockets meant for strength and protection.
2. The Hamsa Hand of Fatima charm used to bring luck and ward off evil spirits.
3. The Tesbih prayer beads used as a guide by the Muslims as they pray.
4. The evil eye motifs used to repel the evil eye by reflecting the evil intent back to the onlooker.
5. Silver coins inscribed with the AyatulKursi verse are worn as necklaces. They pay homage to Allah as the one true God, ruler, protector and benefactor of all the living.

Jewish Jewelry

This also comes in different forms including:

• The Star of David that reminds us that God will help us accomplish our goals.
• Hamsa Necklaces that provide protection from the evil eye.
• Kabbalah jewels that offer blessings from Jewish success prayers. They also guard and offer protection against the evil eye.

There are different pieces of jewelry available for different faiths to express their spirituality. The silver, pendants and necklaces have different meaning and bring value to the wearer depending on their beliefs.