Lucky Charms and Los Vegas

I recently went to Las Vegas to visit with my grandkids.  Naturally, I went through my jewelry box to pick out all my "special" pieces that I think will bring me good luck while I am there.  Some of these are items that I inherited from my mother, so to my mind, they offer a double whammy.

My mother absolutely loved to gamble and she had at least 10 different items that she would wear when she went gambling.  Apparently all these good luck charms worked, because at various times she won $25,000, $10,000, $5,000 and various other jackpots ranging from $500 up.  One year she was so lucky, that for the rest of her life the IRS listed her as a "professional gambler."

One of her favorite lucky charms was a small jade elephant on a gold chain she would wear under her blouse. "Upraised trunks," she told us, "always mean good luck."   I don't know what ever happened to that particular elephant, but now whenever I see elephants with upraised trunks,  I think of her and believe that they will bring me good luck too. With six elephants marching around with upraised trunks,  I'm sure that this bracelet has just got to be extra lucky.

Of course, I also always wear my lucky horseshoe ring.  The horseshoe has been a symbol of good luck for centuries.  As you probably know, you must always wear the horseshoe with the sides up, so the luck doesn't run out.  Horseshoes are one of the easiest shapes to find in jewelry.  Here's a lovely rhinestones piece that is exactly what I mean.  On the other hand, in case you need to be reminded of which way to wear your horseshoe and what it means, there's this necklace to fill the bill.

Another common lucky piece, for gamblers especially, is the four leaf clover.  Perhaps this is related to shamrocks and the concept of lepruchan's gold.  I remember as a child searching for four leaf clovers in the grass, assuming I would then always have good luck.  This particular four leaf clover is a very clever and sophisticated way to wear a lucky piece, even in a business setting.

Lots of people have certain pieces of jewelry that they believe will bring them good luck at gambling, a business endeavor or love, even if they won't admit it. 

What did I inherit from my Mom that I always wear?  A large, turquoise nugget ring that only fits on my middle finger.  I never go West without it.