White Copper Turning Fortune Pendant

Fortune turns is a piece of auspicious talk, the same sense as when the worst is past, the best arrives: luck has reached its turning point. It is used widely, at the New Year, at an opening, in a zodiac year. It points to no deity, only to the word turn. And because it points to no one, it does not commit the giver to a faith and lays no burden on the receiver. Sayings of this kind are not meant to be taken literally by either party; they are for the ear. The old line has it that when luck goes, gold turns to iron, and when luck comes, iron is like gold, which is the same thought. The four characters are pleasant to say and look well on paper.

Because it points to no particular deity, this kind of subject is the freest to design and the easiest to make empty. The ones that come off usually land the turn on a specific action: a wheel, a ring, a disc, something visible that can carry an abstract phrase. A piece that merely shouts auspiciousness palls after two wears. Wheel, ring and disc only live when they turn; stopped, each is a circle. The maker has to choose one for it, or it is a plaque.

This piece presses the theme into a single pattern and does not rely on a mechanism. The advantage is that there is no pivot to loosen or jam; the cost is that the sense of turning has to be seen rather than handled. Anyone who likes to fiddle will find it short of interest; anyone who likes things settled will find it right. The pattern is in relief, with little difference in height, flat to the touch and only rising to the eye. Turn it over and the back carries a single horizontal line, which counts as leaving it blank. Themed pendants cloy when there are many of them; the virtue of this one is that it says little.

White copper is on the cool side and looks well with a dark jumper. Do not make the chain too long: set at the centre of the chest, the wearer looks steadier. Outside the clothing suits it better than hidden inside, since a subject like this is meant to be seen. The knot sits at the back of the neck, so do not use too thick a cord, which is uncomfortable against the neck. The surface of white copper warms with wear, more slowly than brass. A spring clasp is easiest to take on and off.

Choose the occasion: the New Year, a change of job, a move of house, at any of these three it sits well. At other times fortune turns can sound as though you are hinting that things are not going well now. The words are the same; at the wrong moment they change flavour, and that matters more than which piece you choose. Do not put too much writing in the box; one line is enough, and more reads like a sales pitch. That said, the rest is your own decision.