Piece of the Week: Lionheart’s ‘Serenity’ Opal Charm

Amulets are objects believed to protect or bring good fortune to their owners, dating as far back as 25,000 BC, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

New York-based fine jewelry brand Lionheart's “Serenity” collection is inspired by the ancient talismans.

The opal amulet charm, our Piece of the Week, is imbued with intentions that are perfect to start off the new year with.

The charm features 13 opals with 1.15 carats of diamond accents in 18-karat yellow gold.

Opals are a stone of transformation and personal growth, representing awareness and intuition and believed to offer emotional healing and a sense of hope, according to the brand.

Joy Haugaard, the co-founder and creative director at Lionheart, created the Serenity design in 2019 when she was tasked with turning her mother’s heirloom diamonds into a custom piece.

Haugaard’s mother asked that the piece hold both meaning and heart, while reflecting time, cycles, and the signs that guide us.

“At its center sits a single stone, symbolizing inner strength, truth, and purpose. Surrounding it are 12 stones, representing harmony, balance, and the ever-turning wheel of time, 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 intentions carried through time,” said Haugaard.

“Together, these elements reflect the idea that while life moves in many directions, everything ultimately circles back to the self.”

From this first design, the “Serenity” collection was born. It launched in 2023, with each piece serving as a reminder to stay connected to what its wearer is manifesting and six gemstone options available to expand on the amulet’s meaning.

The opal version was the result of a commission for a special Serenity design featuring a client’s birthstone.

“Opals are deeply symbolic stones, often associated with intuition, creativity, and emotional depth, making them especially powerful within the Serenity amulet,” Haugaard said.

Diamonds, opals, emeralds, rubies, blue sapphires, and pink sapphires are available in the Serenity amulet charm design to build off its core symbolism and intentions while adding each gemstone’s own energy and meaning, making each piece more personal for its wearer.

Haugaard added, “Each version tells a different story, guided by the stones and the individual who chooses them.”

The Serenity amulet charm with opals retails for $8,450.

It is available, along with the rest of the Serenity collection, on Lionheart’s website.