One of the best parts about travel is finding the unexpected gem. While in Houston bead shopping, I wandered into a church's guilded shop and to my surprise found a 1895 Medal of Chitral given to Indian and British troops for their service. I knew immediately that I wanted to use the medal and transform it into a necklace. I found a dark red poppy jasper which has the properties to align the chakras and balances the yin-yang, physical, and emotional. It is a stone of protection, and is used in particular for protection during astral travel.
