There were carnations, lilies, snapdragons and daisies; in white, pink, fuchsia, purple and lavender. They hung from ceilings, adorned tables, incorporated in the spring-inspired dishes, on which nestled the filigreed jewelry and charms designed especially for moms. There was even a flower cart from which one could make a bouquet for Mom.
When designer Wynn Wynn Ong was rebranding her jewelry line, a 38-year-old client expressed her fascination with the pendant of a naked fertility boy with a tiny weenie, which was a sculpted version of a 19th-century Chinese antique symbol. Several years into her second marriage, the client had infertility issues. Hoping for luck, she bought the pendant.
There was a time when every other woman wore a charm bracelet full of dangling golden charms. Each charm represented a special moment in her life, whether it be her first foreign trip, her engagement or the birth of her child. After a while though, charm bracelets seemed to lose their favor, and many of them were tucked away.
Reader Lawrence Gonzaga sent in the following timely query: “With the recent celebration of the Chinese New Year, so many different charms, amulets and trinkets have proliferated in the market. And some of them are pretty expensive. My question is: Do these charms, amulets and trinkets really work?”
Some Chinese New Year charms and accessories might not exactly bring good fortune.
