When shopping for jewelry, one can see two extremes in any motif
lineup: the delicate, feminine extreme, and the strong,
masculine extreme. Among the “strong” extremes, wolf jewelry
stands out as a common favorite — it is, after all, the symbol
of virility and independence, rebellion and complete
self-possession. When one wears the most common types of
masculine wolf jewelry, one is virtually saying, “I’m tough;
don’t mess with me.”
But nowadays, a greater diversity of designs exists for jewelry
themes, even wolf jewelry. For example: the popular fantasy
comic Elfquest’s artist Wendy Pini has popularized the use of
delicate wolf motifs, which are smoothly curving, streamlined
and sensual without compromising the impregnable visage of the
real-life wolf. Pini’s wolf designs symbolize neither male nor
female, but nature as a whole.
Kevin Costner made a smash hit with his appearance in the
romantic period dramatic film “Dances With Wolves.” In that
movie he celebrated the qualities that are as essential to
humans as they are to wolves: loyalty, honor, trust and freedom.
Wolves remain a symbol of all these virtues. The moon is also
associated very closely with the image of the wolf, as images of
wolves howling at the full moon continue to be popular in
today’s culture.
Wolves are known to be solitary creatures, but as a matter of
fact only a few are known to be certified “lone wolves” — that
is, wolves that have decided to leave the pack and hunt on their
own. Lone wolves are rather rare, but their lives burn brightly;
their achievements may not be acknowledged by members of their
own species, but they are certainly remembered by the world
around them.
Many people who identify with wolves fancy that they are most
attuned to the lone wolf: the seductive outcast who is making
his or her own way into the world, regardless of what anyone
else thinks. In a way this is so: the lone wolf is often what is
depicted in wolf jewelry, with its grim demeanor, quick wit,
grace accentuated by speed and stealth, and the courage to find
its own path through life.