A Magical Reawakening

Do you remember the snowfall scene in the original The Wizard of Oz film? It’s a scene that always felt magical to us. 

Just as the Emerald City comes into view, the group enters an enormous field of sedating red poppies, unaware that it was placed there by the wicked witch in an attempt to stop them from reaching their destination. Dorothy, Toto, and the cowardly lion fall into a deep sleep, but the good witch intervenes, blanketing the field with snow and reversing the spell.

Although the scent of poppies doesn't actually induce sleep, compounds found within the seed capsules do contain sedative properties. It's very likely that L. Frank Baum, the author of the original story published in 1900, was aware of the flower's effects, as well as of its ancient lineage and its remarkably resilient nature, so it feels logical that he would choose them to represent the wicked witches' ploy.

In fact, poppies are so resilient that they can be traced back to prehistoric plant species (think plants that lived alongside dinosaurs), and there’s evidence that Ancient Egyptians cultivated the flowers for both medicinal and ritualistic purposes. If you fancy a bit of Greek mythology, you might also know that poppies were associated with Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep.

While poppy flowers are symbols of sleep, death, remembrance, and rebirth, their seeds also experience periods of dormancy, capable of blooming anew even after hundreds of years and under the harshest of conditions.

During World War I, this phenomenon transformed the decimated landscapes of Belgium into a stunning sea of red. The heavy artillery that had pockmarked Flanders Fields ironically acted as a catalyst; the shells churned the earth, bringing long-buried seeds to the surface while also enriching the soil with calcium from pulverized limestone buildings. Explosives had infused the ground with nitrogen, a fertilizing agent for the wildflower. This unique chemistry provided exactly what the poppies needed to thrive.

It was this scene of emerging, fragile beauty that moved Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to pen his famous poem "In Flanders Fields" in 1915. McCrae was struck by the sight of the poppies that began to "blow between the crosses, row on row." His words transformed the Papaver rhoeas into a global emblem of remembrance—a living testament to the way life persists and reclaims its vibrant color even in the wake of great loss. Today, these blossoms (worn en masse on Remembrance Day) remain as bright and defiant as Dorothy’s ruby slippers, reminding us that each day holds the potential for a beautiful renascence.

From this perspective, you can think of the earth as an ancient witness that, when we pay close attention, provides us with glimpses of the past and hope for the future—mayhaps in the form of flowers that whisper “I remember.”

We see the gemstones in every one of our creations, not as mere rocks, but also as records of the past. Look closely into the dark brown opal of our Terra Memoria pendant, and you’ll find the resilient spirit of a scarred landscape reclaiming its beauty. Trace flecks of cobalt blue and fiery red dance through the verdant play of color like hidden sparks of memory. A ruby charm blooms along the golden chain, hinting at a hidden, burgeoning scene. (You don’t want to miss the back on this one… or the nuanced black diamond surprise).