9 things you should definitely know about the Ginkgo
The Ginkgo: Ancient and Admirable
If you're walking along a street in the summer, in the shade of the trees, and suddenly experience not only a different, brighter light but also a strange feeling of sudden calm, then look up: Are you perhaps standing under a ginkgo tree?
It might sound strange at first, but these trees from distant Japan have something that we sometimes feel with certain people – a positive charisma, a bright and friendly aura.
And this is not imagination: For hundreds of years, ginkgos have been held in high esteem by the Japanese. Asians use their leaves and seeds in medicine and have achieved amazing results. But not only that: They see the ginkgo leaf as a symbol of love and strength and good life energies. And these are just a few of many wonderful stories I have heard and read about the ginkgo tree.
9 Secrets about the Ginkgo You Didn't Know Yet
That's why I love to use the ginkgo leaf as a motif for my jewelry. It is so full of power and beauty, full of good thoughts and fascination!
Follow me on an amazing journey of discovery to an ancient and extraordinary inhabitant of our earth, which is the focus of my jewelry collection.
9 Fascinating Facts About the Ginkgo Tree
As mentioned, the ginkgo tree originates from Asia. Until the 17th century, it was completely unknown in Europe. However, the Chinese and Japanese have always revered ginkgo trees. But why?
1. A Witness from the Beginning of the World
One reason why I particularly love ginkgo jewelry is the feeling of connection, when wearing it, to a time when no one even thought of us humans: Fossil finds show that ginkgo trees grew on Earth as early as the Jurassic period, 200 million years ago! Isn't it breathtaking to stand before a descendant of that time? And when I feel the cool leaf jewelry on my skin, I sometimes have the wonderful thought of a deep closeness to that time, which is otherwise so incredibly far removed from our present world.
2. A Fighter
I'm not only inspired by the idea that ginkgo trees are among the oldest beings on Earth. Their long lifespan also captivates me: Our Asian tree friend can live to be over 1000 years old! It grows incredibly slowly but endures for a long time.
In China and Japan, ginkgos are protected, and near temples and villages, they often reach an age of 2000 to 3000 years! What stories one of these giants could tell, if only we understood its language!
Due to their advanced age and their fire-resistant bark, ginkgo trees symbolize strength and resilience. And we all need that from time to time in our daily lives! Sometimes I think my jewelry gives me the strength to face the adversities of everyday life. Superstition? Who knows?
3. A Lover
Ginkgo leaf jewelry is not a new invention: In China and Japan, ginkgo jewelry has a long tradition. Finely crafted silver and gold in the shape of ginkgo leaves have great symbolic meaning for people: The two-part shape of the leaves represents the two life energies Yin, gentleness, and Yang, life energy. In Asia, these two energies symbolize the inner balance needed in life.
Moreover, they stand for the male and the female, for love, friendship, and fertility. And not only the leaf points to the love of two people: Ginkgo trees grow as male and female plants and can only survive together. Since the seeds of the female trees smell quite bad, male trees are usually planted here. But in fact, one must always think of them together, like us humans: as man and woman. Only as a unit are we capable of survival, and only together can we master our daily lives.
4. A Lucky Charm
In Asia, ginkgo trees are seen not only as a symbol of love but also of luck. Ginkgo seeds are offered at weddings: If the bride and groom eat them, their marriage will be happy.
Overall, I find it very fascinating how food in Asia is not just simple nourishment, but contributes to happiness and well-being. Ginkgo seeds, for example, are sometimes stirred into rice when someone could use a bit of luck in life. Wouldn't a gift in the shape of a ginkgo leaf be a similar gesture for a friend or loved one who is not doing so well right now?
5. The Ginkgo, a Helper
Ginkgo seeds and leaves have also been used in medicine in Europe for a long time: As natural components of medicines, they help, among other things, against the degeneration of nerve cells, as well as against mood swings and anxieties. They are said to promote memory and circulation and are also popular with pupils and students, as they are supposed to improve learning.
6. A Life Extender
It may just be a matter of belief, but the ginkgo is said to even extend life expectancy. Perhaps this could be attributed to its health-promoting effects, or it could be dismissed as nonsense. For me, it's important that when I wear ginkgo leaf jewelry, I feel like it gives me strength, protects me - and perhaps really allows me to grow old.
7. A Friend of Artists
"This tree's leaf, entrusted to my garden from the East, gives a secret meaning to taste, how it delights the knowing."
Even the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe succumbed to the charm of the tree from Asia and wrote this poem in 1815 for his love Marianne von Willemer. Many artists, both in the past and today, have been fascinated by ginkgo trees. The smooth bark, the fine, cool leaves with their ridges and their special shape and luminous color take one's thoughts on a journey into the land of dreamers and romantics. Don't we all enjoy being guests there sometimes?
8. A Myth
Many fairy tales and legends in China and Japan revolve around ginkgo trees, and even modern times add further stories. For example, it is reported that during the terrible atomic bomb catastrophe in Hiroshima, a nearby ginkgo tree also went up in flames. But a short time later, the tree, thought to be dead, sprouted new leaves and branches. After the unspeakable suffering the atomic bomb brought upon the people of Japan, this tree was and is revered as a symbol of hope for a new life in peace.
9. An Individualist
When I wear my leaf jewelry, I also like to think about the uniqueness of the ginkgo tree: Because of its leaf-like needles, it belongs neither to the deciduous trees nor to the conifers. As a primeval tree, it united both sides within itself. It forms its own plant family, the "Gingkoales." This also makes it so extraordinary and gives me a feeling of exclusivity and distinctiveness when wearing ginkgo jewelry – a wonderful feeling!
And so I see and feel ginkgo trees always and everywhere I encounter these fascinating plant giants: As admirable, strong, incredible living beings that inspire, protect - and delight us.
