An Icon We See Everywhere

Think of the heart shape. It’s everywhere—on greeting cards, emojis, and signs of love. But this simple image has a rich backstory that stretches back thousands of years. The heart as a symbol means more than just romance; it stands for emotion, spirit, and connection across many cultures.

I am drawn to the heart shape and use it in many of my jewelry designs. Of course the symbolism is part of the reason I love designing this way.

In this post, you’ll see how the heart shape took on new forms over time, why it matters, and what its story reveals about human culture.

Ancient Origins of Heart Imagery

Archaeologists have uncovered some fascinating traces of the heart in the ancient world:

• Mesopotamia: Clay tablets from Sumer and Akkad show heart-shaped objects and script. Often, these images connect the heart to thought and wisdom instead of just the body.
• Egypt: The heart had a starring role in Egyptian life and afterlife beliefs. Tomb art shows the heart being weighed against the feather of Ma’at, to test a person’s goodness.
• Greece: Classical Greeks often sketched organs in detailed medical texts. The philosopher Aristotle saw the heart as the center of emotion, intelligence, and even courage. Heart images appear on ancient pottery and scrolls.
• The Earring design below shows heart shaped malachite gems dangling from a copper hoop.

Symbolic Meanings in Early Civilizations

To ancient people, the heart was much more than a part of the body. It carried rich symbolism:

• Life and Vitality: The heart was seen as the spark of life. Without it, nothing moved or breathed.
• The Soul and Identity: Egyptians believed the heart held a person’s soul, memories, and truth. In the afterlife, the heart acted like a record of your entire life—nothing escaped its memory.
• Feelings and Spirit: The Greeks linked the heart to strong emotions. Love, grief, fear, and joy all flowed from the heart’s core.
• Judgment and Morality: In ancient Egypt, the heart was weighed in the underworld. A heavy heart meant guilt and led to punishment. A light heart pointed to honesty and peace.

The Emergence of the Stylized Heart Shape in the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, the heart shape took a new direction in art and culture. Instead of showing the human heart as a realistic organ, artists started drawing it as two rounded arches meeting at a sharp point. This is the same shape that later became a global symbol of love. The shift wasn’t only about art—it reflected new beliefs, social customs, and ways of seeing emotion.

Medieval Manuscripts and Religious Contexts

Medieval Europe brought a boom in decorated manuscripts and church art. Monks and scribes filled the margins of books with bright images, including the earliest recognizable heart shapes. These hearts often appeared in:

• Illuminated Manuscripts: You can spot small heart shapes in the borders of prayer books or around saints and angels. The design stood out against the gold leaf and deep blues of the pages.
• Religious Texts: Writers used the heart as a sign of true faith or divine love. For example, images sometimes showed saints holding stylized hearts, meant to represent their love for God or their pure intentions.
• Church Decorations: Artists carved heart shapes into wood, painted them on altars, or added them to stained glass. In some stories, Jesus was shown pointing to his heart, calling attention to his compassion and suffering.

The heart shape didn’t just pop up by accident. Some historians say it may have been inspired by ancient plants or seeds, such as the silphium pod, which was shaped like a heart and connected to love and affection.The image above features the silphium pod. You can easily see how the upside down image of this pod mimics our modern day concept of the heart.

Modern Evolution of Heart Images

Heart images have taken on a new life in the last century, sweeping through pop culture and digital spaces at a pace no one could have predicted. They are no longer reserved for art and religion—now, hearts show up in slogans, billboards, text messages, and social posts worldwide. Let’s look at the key shifts that led to this, from paper cards to pixelated symbols.

The design below features another way I design using the heart motif. The fine silver backing is heart shaped and features a teardrop shaped turquoise gem.

Valentine’s Day and Mass Media: The Rise of the Heart in Pop Culture

With the boom of printing in the 19th and 20th centuries, the stylized heart started showing up everywhere. Nowhere is this more obvious than on Valentine’s Day cards, which took the simple heart shape and turned it into a sign of romance.

Why did this happen? Commercial printing made it cheap and easy to send messages of love. Heart images went from elite artworks to everyday objects you could buy at a corner store. By the early 1900s, heart-covered cards, candy boxes, and decorations took over store shelves each February.

Mass media only boosted this trend:

• Advertising: Brands used hearts to connect a product with warmth, safety, or affection. Think of classic candy boxes, soda ads, or jewelry campaigns—the heart makes you feel an emotion before you read a single word.
• Movies and TV: Scripted love stories splashed the heart symbol across posters and film reels. When a cartoon character’s eyes turned into hearts, kids and adults alike understood: love, in its silliest or purest form.
• Pop Music and Art: Album covers, posters, and fashion added even bolder heart imagery. From punk rock pins to pop diva stage sets, the heart became a sign of emotion, rebellion, or joy.

The Digital Heart: From Emoji to Memes

In the last two decades, the heart image has exploded across digital screens in ways that old-school marketers could only dream about. It’s now one of the most recognized symbols on Earth—thanks to social platforms, messaging apps, and the ever-growing emoji lineup.

Here’s how digital life shaped the heart:

• Emoji Hearts: The red heart emoji was added to phones and computers in the 2010s. It’s now used in billions of texts and posts every day. A single tap sends warmth or friendship across the globe—faster than a handwritten letter ever could.
• Color Variations: Different colored hearts let people show subtle feelings or inside jokes. For example:
  • Red for love or strong emotion
  • Yellow for friendship or happiness
  • Blue for trust or calm vibes
  • Black for sadness, style, or dry humor
• Heart Reactions: Social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok made the heart a way to show approval. People “like” with a heart instead of a thumbs up, sending instant feedback and positive vibes.

Conclusion

The heart image has moved through history as both a mirror and a messenger—shifting its shape and meaning as people changed the way they loved, believed, and expressed themselves. From ancient carvings loaded with spiritual weight, to the decorative hearts in medieval stories, right up to today’s emoji-laden texts, this simple symbol still carries deep emotions. I expect this is why I tend to gravitate towards this icon in my designs. To me the heart means LOVE.

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The post Images of the Heart; Ancient to Modern Symbols appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

My name is Button (the cat)

I have been asked by my human Mom to write this post about the art of relaxation. Perhaps you are aware that cats are experts in this field.. and I revel in this knowledge. Relaxing (anywhere, anytime) is 2nd nature to me. 

Here are my tips to help you in your pursuit of relaxation.

1. Practice the art of BEING.  It seems to me that humans are more about DOING and less about BEING. From my perspective, as a cat, you have it all backwards! Doing is great when you are so motivated. I for one love to play a lot. I chase bugs, play with my feather toy and anything else in the house that piques my interest at the moment

2. Kneading. One of the favorite things I do to relax. I alternately push my paws against something soft (often a human) I learned this as a kitten. The kneading against my birth mom’s breast helped her to lactate. Even now as an adult cat, I find kneading very soothing.

 So Humans don’t knead. I get that! But you can stretch and yawn. Step away from your desk right now and try it. It feels good doesn’t it?

3. Remember to Sleep. Right at the top of my list. In fact, some days I sleep a full 18 hours.  Even this Rock under my head doesn’t stop me. I am comfortable anywhere. I have figured out that humans do not like to sleep this long.  It’s all part of that DOING instead of BEING syndrome, I surmise. Can we compromise?  

Promise to sleep 8 hours a day AND take time during the day to stretch and laugh.

4. Take time to Explore and Discover. We cats are SO curious about everything. And we have a strong need to know our surroundings in detail. Every time my human opens a door or cupboard, I am right there to find out what is inside. After all I might need to know this information sometime in the future!

 I LOVE to explore. I want humans to know how much you can learn by opening one new door. What opportunity looms for you there?

5. Petting. I added this because I LOVE IT when you pet me. I get even more relaxed and start purring. So Heavenly! Tell the truth. Don’t you also feel great when you stop what you are doing and pet me?  This is what we cats and humans both refer to as a win-win.

Humans have a saying that is so true. “If you want to find the most comfortable place in the house.. Look for the cat.” We just have a knack for finding all the comfy places.

Taking it easy is vital to the human psyche. I observe my human often wrestling with something. (I don’t understand your language, so can only go by observation of her behavior.  When she finally decides to give up the ghost and pet me (that’s the best time) or take a nap, then I can tell when she awakes that she is relaxed and brimming with insight, ideas and passion. If she would not have taken the time to step away, then she would be even more stressed..and I would not get petted (which is my right as her owner)    

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The post Relaxation by Button the Cat – Guest Post appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]Pay It Forward is an enriching and powerful way to live our lives. The movie of the same title gave more credence to a practice that has been followed by countless others over the centuries.

Just in case you are still in the dark about it.. here are the details

• Do something for someone else.

• Something totally unexpected.

• Something that makes them smile.

• Don’t expect ‘or accept’ anything in return.

That’s it! It may inspire this person to do something nice for someone else, and those people to do something nice for someone else… and so on. Wouldn’t this be a great week if everyone participated? Aren’t you happy that you got the ball rolling? Keep in mind that this does NOT have to be someone you know and it does NOT have to involve cash. That part is up to you.

[tweet_box design=”box_03″ float=”none”]”If you can’t feed 100 people, then just feed one.” Mother Teresa[/tweet_box]

 Suggestions to get you started:

1) Buy groceries for the person in front or back of you in line.

2) Hold the door for someone entering or leaving at the same time.

3) Babysit a friend or neighbor’s children or pets. (for free)

4) Pay the rent or car payment (one time)

5) Have a friend or colleague starting a new business? Give them a positive review and share their posts online

6) Leave a gift basket or flowers at a neighboring door step.

7) Smile at someone who is frowning and clearly having a bad day

8) Buy Coffee or ice cream for the next person in line at your favorite hangout.

9) See someone carrying heavy load or juggling children and groceries? Help them out.

These are just a few ideas to get your brain kick-started in the right direction.

Please Share this post.

Let me know what you did to PAY IT FORWARD.

The post 9 Ways to Pay it Forward this Week appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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The Heart shape is widely recognized as a symbol of love and compassion.

So how does this heart symbol emerge as the image to represent our life giving organ? First of all, some believe it is derived from the shape of Ivy leaves. Ivy is known as the leaf of fidelity. Finally another theory from the Ancient Greeks says that the symbol comes from the silphium seed pod shape.  Silphium was most famous as an early form of birth control! 

 Furthermore, this familiar heart symbol first appears in the 14th century in Documenti d’amore by Francesco Barberino

Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the giver of life. Before mankind knew that the heart pumps blood through the circulatory system, they observed that the heart beats faster when someone is excited… and so concluded that the heart was indeed the center of our feelings.

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The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched…They must be felt with the heart.                                        Helen Keller

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I love creating jewelry designs using heart symbols. They remind me daily to Speak and Live ‘from the heart.’ In this way  we show our true self to those around us.  All my jewelry designs can be found here

Do you have any fascinating Heart Facts to share? Add them in the comments and I will put you in the drawing for a $40.00 gift certificate to my web site!

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The post ‘From the Heart’ Legends & Designer Jewelry appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Red does the trick when you want someone to notice you or your online/printed materials. 

Just be careful how much you use. A bright red dress or suit will certainly attract attention… but did you want THAT much of it?  Most of all using touches of red is a better option. This creates passion and excitement without overpowering others.

Wear a red statement necklace, tie or scarf . Red Shoes are a terrific option.

RED is an emotionally intense color. When you see red, your heart rate increases, breathing speeds up and you are ready for action. In addition it is a strong color that is associated with passion and excitement.

Red is a power color. Most noteworthy is Red Carpet service… geared towards VIP’s.  In China, Red is the color of happiness and prosperity. Consequently red suggests confidence, speed and even danger. (the traditional RED flag as a warning)

Is Red YOUR favorite color? Then you are:

• passionate and fiery

• action oriented

• An Optimist

• Love Excitement

• Light up a room when you enter

Sounds good so far, right?  Here are the downsides.. You

• crave attention

• are easily bored and easily angered

I use red sparingly in my designs. You guessed it.. my favorite color is NOT red!  I tend towards the deeper oranges and browns. That being said, once in awhile wearing a bright red necklace makes me feel good about myself.

Some of the gems to consider for your touches of red are Rubies and Red Coral. Keep in mind that most Red coral is actually dyed . Most natural red coral is depleted or  protected from harvesting. This tiny fact does not diminish the beauty though.

Go ahead… break out that RED accessory you have been keeping in the back of the closet. Then watch are you are showered with attention.    

Did you like this post? then, read The Color Blue.

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The post Demand Attention! Wear RED appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

As the Holidays wind to a close this year, I have been thinking of all the people and things in my life that I appreciate.

Have you ever done that?.. just realize how lucky we all are to have people (and animals) who love us and ‘things’ that bring us pleasure.

I decided right then and there to list all my ‘appreciates’.

What I created was a list that is endless. Each time I think it’s complete, I think of something else! Here’s a small sampling of my ‘appreciates’

1. My Husband. for his acceptance and love & his uncanny ability to make me laugh.. even after 20 years of marriage.
2. My sisters. for their enduring love and friendship; the ones who know all my secrets.
3. Kitty Button. for her affection, (she’s sitting on my lap as I write this) her craziness and cuteness.
4. My Jewelry Studio. for the continuous pleasure it brings me as I have the space to design and create new pieces.
5. Morning Coffee. for it’s aroma and taste. And for my quiet time to start my day
6. My friends. for their willingness to share their lives with me. for the fun we have.
7. Books. for my pleasure in being swallowed up in a great story. For the excitement in finding a new author to read
8. My Clients and Customers. for their loyalty, trust and energy. Many have become friends.
9. My Social Media Friends. for the lost and new connections I have experienced over the last several years.

What about you?

I encourage you to take the time today to reflect on your ‘appreciates’? It will warm your heart & get your day moving in the best possible direction.

The post 5,6,7,8.. Who & What do we appreciate? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.