Trollbeads: My Friends.

I first heard of Trollbeads over the phone from my excited Mum telling me about this beautiful new bracelet that is the new charm bracelet and that everyone was after them. I had rolled my eyes at the time, I am a PR student and I had never heard about them. After all it was just some pretty jewellery; a passing craze as most things are.

It was two weeks later when my 20th birthday brought my parents to university to visit me and presented me with a very quaint little box cleverly designed to fold itself shut, tied up with ribbon and containing a purple silk bag. When I opened this bag I pulled out a snake like chain of silver that slithered over my fingers with the feel that only quality metal can give. It did not pinch like some chain links did; it was as silky as the bag it came in.

I have always been quite girly and love shiny things but there was something different with what I held in my hand. The two beads sparkled in the March morning light that escaped though the rain drenched windows. Hypnotised as I was by my first debut bracelet I managed to accept another box from my parents containing “neither fish nor fowl,” an adorable bead which either looks like a fish or a chicken head from different sides.

Two more boxes were produced after this as presents from my Nan. Inside these was a sweet rainbow striped glass bead and a silver “happy fishes” Piscean bead (my birth sign). I was told that my Mum, aunt, Sister and cousins had all received their debut bracelets too, so that we could all share in the joy, but I was the only one with a spring birthday so I was the only one to receive gifted beads from my Nan.

In mid April 2010, my Nan passed away; she was very special to all of us. It is hard to imagine living without her throwing the odd insult or laughing along with us, but I look at my Happy Fishes bead and know that she is still laughing and chasing our tails with the remarks and cheeky comments that she has always given. When I feel a little lost and lonely in the day my beads remind me to continue, and that I have a lot of family, a lot of friends, right there with me on every step.

But do not begin to believe that Trollbeads are there to help you get started again, that they have to be sentimental beings that warm your heart. Sure they do that but they can do so much more.

I had saved up for a while and wanted to treat myself, so I bought a second bracelet and decided that this would be to document a very special journey for me. I had recently joined martial arts early the previous year and was already on my third belt.

My mother, Sister and I bought a coloured glass bead: white steel, yellow steel and an orange armadillo to represent each belt colour, I also have the silver N to signify it is my journey, and the lucky dragon, the cutest bead of a delicate silver dragon that wraps around the bracelet. He is large enough for two bead spaces, but his face smiles so warmly, even if you are not someone who has loved dragons all their life you will fall for this bead. It is also a bead that I have in common with my Mum and Sister’s bracelets.

Living an hour away from home does leave me stranded as I have no transport of my own, email and phone calls are ok but it’s nothing like a real hug or a smile from the people you love. Sharing something as sweet as a bead that has such character as the lucky dragon does help at times to know that I will see them soon, and to remind me how lucky I am to have them in my life.

Trollbeads are just silver, gold or glass beads, yes they are handmade and watching the videos that My Trollbeads have on their Facebook page of how they are made shows how much skill and care goes into each one. But I know that not everyone will care that this is done, and that there are replicas. But there is something ethereal about Troll that no other jewel has got. Every bead contains a heart, individuality, a meaning, a sense of existence.

If you haven’t started your journey, if you haven’t begun this exquisite relationship then get online or down to your local stockist to do it now. Beks Designs in Launceston are passionate and enthusiastic and will give you the time to help you find that perfect bead for the day.

If you have started this journey and love your beads as much as I do, then get down to your stockist and buy a bead to celebrate the magic that we wear on our wrists.

We might not be able to take material possession to the next life but what is the point of living for tomorrow if we can’t enjoy today!

http://www.trollbeads.co.uk/


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