I love rings…but they are a jewelry item I do not create. Yes, this is something I’ve explored…but despite my many attempts I realize that making rings is just not something I enjoy. For me, creating jewelry is about pure enjoyment and creating rings does not bring me joy. But wearing them…well that’s an entirely different story. They are the piece of jewelry I find great joy in purchasing.
I can still remember the very first Moonstone ring I purchased. This was the first time I had heard of a moonstone, much less seen one, and I was enchanted. I loved the way it caught the light and I just knew this ring was meant to be mine (buying this ring began a whole new relationship with stones…and to follow this moonstone were several more moonstone pendants, rings, bracelets, and loose stones…yes, it’s my favorite stone).
That ring opened something up within in me, and with each travel after that I found myself on a quest to find the perfect ring to capture the essence of the trip.
In 2008 I took a trip to Peru. This trip was spectacular. It was like no other. I spent a month in that beautiful country exploring both freely and with a group tour. This trip was a game changer in my life. I stepped into a new sense of inner strength and power there. I experienced a new relationship with Spirit, and I came to know who I am in an entirely new way.
One of these experiences happened while camping with a group of about 20 people at 15,000ft elevation on Ausungate. We had just spent several days immersed in ceremonies and on this particular morning we hiked to two lagoons. 
At the first one we were guided to release into it stones that held old stories and limiting beliefs. At the other lagoon we where cleansed by a shaman, one by one as we stood naked in a tiny waterfall at the waters edge. Many of us chose to dive into the glacial lagoon after being cleansed.
I remember this experience with crystal clarity. I dove into the water. I felt as though I went deep and when I emerged, taking a breath of air, my entire body gasped to receive the warm air. It was as though I was simultaneously claiming life and realizing just how cold this water is. I began to swim to the shore and each stroke felt like ten. When I stepped out of the water my body and my spirit felt alive and just as crystal clear as the lagoon. I was naked, raw, and felt a sense of purity I had never before experienced.
I wanted to always remember that feeling, to know that despite all that happens life in this one moment I had an experience in which I emerged from the depths of the waters and the depths of my soul knowing the beauty of who I am.
As with most of my travels, I was hoping to find a ring that would capture the depth of this quest. And on my very last day in Peru I found it in a little boutique in the San Blas district in Cusco. This ring was different from any other I had bought before. It was clear quartz with many inclusions…tourmaline, rutile, and many others I couldn’t identify. When I put it on, I knew this was my ring…visually it had depth, spiritually it had depth, and energetically it had a depth…a depth that most definitely captured the essence of my journey. 
I was thrilled to be returning home with my perfect ring! And perfect for me it was…but little did I know just how perfect at that time. This trip opened a door within me, one that allowed me to see how important sacred travel is to me…and this stone helps me to keep that at the forefront of my awareness. Since my time in Peru, it has guided me in digging deep within, finding clarity, in aligning with my path of power and purpose, and it seems to know just when to be a supportive guide and just when to back off. Ironically, during those ‘back off’ times this ring has literally disappeared…typically hiding somewhere in my car (an object of movement and travel…it has a good sense of humor).
Yes, we have traveled together to many sacred places and I believe we will continue to do that. I see that its depth is a reflection of my own…and sacred travel is when I dive deeply within to the quiet places of clarity emerging with new wisdom and understanding of my path. This jewel guides me in remembering that each dive within is an opportunity to reconnect with the purity and beauty of my essence, and my greatest joy is experienced when I live in alignment with that beauty.