How Trying to Save €100 Cost Me 1,000 and Counting

Every artist and crafter is familiar with this scenario: you see something gorgeous, think, oh, I can do it myself, and somehow it ends up costing ten times more.

Last year, a beautiful, sparkly, and elegant black tourmaline necklace winked at me from a shop window in Bologna, Italy. I thought to myself, 100 euro? Too much. I’ll do it myself. So I wandered down the block, found a Pakistani wholesale beading store, and bought a strand of rainbow tourmaline beads instead, because that was the closest they had to what I wanted.

And that was just the beginning. Since I had already committed to becoming a “beader,” I started collecting strands along my route: Amazonite in Athens, African turquoise in Haifa… and when I got back to Missoula, I signed up for a beading class so I could actually learn what to do with all my new bead strands (plus tools, plus supplies, plus a 20% discount they offered for the week, which of course I took full advantage of — leading to additional strands of rubies, chrysocolla, peridot, emeralds, blue kyanite, chrysoprase, bumble bee jasper — and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few…). Each stone calling me for a different aesthetic or energetic reason.

Long story short: about $1,000 later, I still want that black tourmaline necklace from Bologna. And we all know going back to Italy to get it is going to cost quite a bit more…

​Lesson learned… (maybe)… Well played, universe!

But the fun part is that along the way, I realized my lifepath is paved in gemstones, and I started to prescribe myself beauty as medicine — creating a necklace for every mood, energetic upgrade, day, or level of consciousness I wanted to embody.

Here are a few examples of my self-prescribed medicine:
Ruby — The “I Am” Frequency
This one says I am the Queen of the Universe.
Dosage: Wear three times a day, preferably with a latte and good lighting.
Side effects: unshakable self-worth, spontaneous laughter, mild flirtation with existence.

Chrysoprase — Heart Opener
This one says the Universe is my boyfriend.
Apply as needed for softness and trust.
Warning: may cause unsolicited miracles.

Rainbow Tourmaline — Loyal Sidekick
This one says the Universe has my back.
Prescription: Take daily for grounded magic and protection from nonsense.

And I actually got pretty good at this beading thingy, so if you’re feeling like you’re ready for an off-the-beaten-path energetic shift or some pretty wearable magic, shoot me a line and let’s play!
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⟡ Feeling off-vibe?
Need a dose of beauty? A bespoke prescription is available by consultation.
✦ What’s your magic?
Doctor Ive is in da house ⚕️😉​