Behind the Design of this Visionary Enneagram Jewelry | GLDN

At its core, the enneagram is an ancient personality typing tool used for personal development, self-awareness and growth. Think of it along the lines of Myers-Briggs—another popular personality assessment tool—or the Five Factor model that provides insights into our personal strengths and natural tendencies.

The enneagram, however, focuses on our motivations and core beliefs (versus simply behaviors and preferences, like the other personality tools we mentioned). This is what makes the enneagram a powerful tool for growth, transformation and self-understanding. It helps us understand the root cause of our behaviors, rather than simply categorizing us into defined personality types. When an enneagram test is taken, you’re assigned a number—one through nine—each with their own strengths, desires and motivations. From there, learning more about your number helps you celebrate your natural gifts and understand your underlying programming so you can be the best version of yourself. 

GLDN Jewelry founder and lead designer, Chrissy Lavdovsky, has long loved the enneagram for the ways in which it can teach us about ourselves and the world around us. Contrary to popular belief (and many other personality typing tools out there), the enneagram isn’t about being boxed in—it’s about breaking out of the boxes you might not have known you’re in and following your light.

So, we sat down with Chrissy to chat about her design for her reversible enneagram necklaces—from the symbols for each type to her creative process to what she hopes everyone gets out of wearing them.

Don’t know your enneagram type? Enneagram expert and author, Christina S. Wilcox, breaks down each type in our journal! We also recommend these two quizzes for further exploration: this quick test from Truity (free) and this in-depth test from Integrative 9 (paid, but worth it).

 

 

Enneagram Q&A with GLDN Founder & Lead Designer, Chrissy

Q: What significance does the enneagram have to you personally?

A: I love how the enneagram isn’t about getting “labeled” with a certain personality type in the way you might think. I see it more like a blueprint that reveals the underlying programming of each type…but not with the intention of having that programming define you. 

Instead, this self-awareness gives you more power over your own life: you can now decide which scripts to run, rather than having them run you. With this deep insight you can act on your true desires, instead of default, knee-jerk reactions. You become more aware of how your mind works, can intentionally direct it and choose your own path. 

As a personal example, awareness of the unconscious behavior patterns of my enneagram type allows me to catch myself falling into those same old patterns when they aren’t serving me. Now, instead of spiraling, this understanding about myself allows me to course correct and put myself on a path that does serve me and my goals. 

The other aspect of the enneagram that I really love is that you want to start to learn about others, too! Then you realize that we’re fundamentally hard-wired to see things differently. That insight alone can change the way you interact with others.This has been so helpful for me in my relationships. It unlocked a whole new level of compassion, understanding and awareness of the world around me—that our differences in perspective are part of the beautiful whole of humanity.

 

 

Q: What inspired the concept of this collection?

A: I’ve been personally inspired by the enneagram for a long time, and had wanted to create jewelry around it—but none of my design attempts honored it in the epic way I felt it deserved, so I kept iterating…for years.

I’d been struggling to distill each enneagram type down to one representation, and kept getting stuck. Then at one point in my research, I had a lightbulb moment. We’re not defined by one thing, so it never felt right. What makes the enneagram exciting and such a valuable tool for growth is that it’s dynamic. These pieces need to be about the journey. So, I asked myself: how could a pendant represent that? When the answer came to me, it instantly felt right. We needed symbols on both sides to represent each type’s unique, dynamic journey towards self-actualization.

 

 

Q: Tell us more about this journey.

A: A pattern that started to stand out in my (obsessive, lol) research was a feeling of there being one key “life lesson” for each type to embrace if they wanted to be their best version of themselves. After distilling things down for months and consulting various enneagram experts, we landed on the most essential lesson for each type.

If you step back and look at all nine lessons together, they just feel like life’s essential lessons that all humans could embrace. But for each type, there is one that is particularly challenging…and while, yes, we’d benefit from embracing all of these lessons, that one lesson has the most transformative potential. In the same way, each of us embodies many of the gifts of the nine types, but one gift or behavior pattern is most hard-wired at our core!

As this relates to the journey, a small perception shift can make a massive impact. Embracing your key lesson facilitates that perception shift—and can make the difference between our natural behavior patterns (gift) manifesting into something beautiful…or something that makes our lives more difficult. In that way, we’ve been calling this key our guiding light.

 

 

Q: How did you come up with the symbols for each gift and guiding light?

A: For the past nine years I’ve been creating a collection of modern glyphs—a graphic language of connection—to reflect the human experience. So when I started falling in love with the enneagram, I was already imagining which symbols would fit each type. It felt serendipitous—like an exercise of understanding, or unlocking pieces of wisdom. 

As a series of symbols that represent our humanness, you might imagine I had most of these symbols already in the collection. But there were a few missing (like “enthusiasm” and “letting go”) that I created specifically for the enneagram, and have since added to my Modern Glyphs library.

 

Q: How did you decide on the rest of the design?

A: I just find the enneagram so inspiring. And I really wanted to bring it to life in a way that felt authentic and deliver a tangible object that people could hold and use as a point of reflection.

Around this same time, I came across an epic ancient amulet from the 4th century that inspired the stylistic design of the piece. I wanted the pieces to have an imperfect, carved-out feeling inspired by the organic shapes of early coinage—an ode to the ancient roots of the enneagram.

 

 

Q: What’s your enneagram type?

A: I’m a type seven: the enthusiast! But, I’ll tell you, I didn’t want to accept that for a long time (I thought for sure I was a type four). When I read through the qualities and traits of my type, I felt a lot of resistance. But I consistently tested as a seven. I considered myself extremely self-aware so this really bugged me! I kept studying it and trying to figure things out. That’s what got me so deep into the enneagram.

 

 

Q: Any tips on uncovering your type?

A: Official tests are a great place to start. But you do kind of have to dig in, though, because it’s more complicated than it seems on the surface. There’s so much depth and wisdom there and it’s sooooo worth it. Even just the time spent on self-reflection as you learn is so valuable. Spending that time being immersed in it was life-changing for me. 

The first step will probably be realizing blind spots—things about your view on the world that you took for granted as being “fact” or universal. Talking with others can be helpful at starting to identify blind spots. 

After a while, you’ll start to see the patterns, and it’s like pulling back the veil and seeing your underlying programming for the first time. It’s a whole new level of self-awareness and has been immensely valuable for me. Naturally, as a type seven, all I could think about was the next step (😂) and how to encourage others towards this insight, too, because it was so life-changing for me.

 

 

Q: What’s your biggest hope for this collection?

A: When I’m creating new pieces, I’m always trying to think about how they’ll be meaningful to the wearer. And with this collection, that’s everything. 

There’s something so powerful about introspection and self-awareness—and these symbols reflect that continual exercise of getting to know ourselves better throughout our entire lives. They serve as both a reminder of your strengths and the light that you naturally bring to the world, as well as that grounding lesson—that anchor point—that helps you stay rooted in your truth. This is what helps us become our strongest, healthiest selves, and that’s a beautiful message to carry around with you on a piece of jewelry.  In a sense, see these pieces as a reminder of mindfulness, intention and self-empowerment.

When people wear their enneagram talisman, I hope they feel empowered; that their necklace reminds them of the powerful potential that lies within them; that they realize they’re wired to be amazing, and they can manifest that light within themselves. 

I also hope these talismans serve as conversation-starters, too, where you’re able to talk about your personal journey, and encourage others to look inward. It can be scary to do that! But taking a step on that journey (and being vulnerable while doing it) helps normalize the real struggle of our minds on the path to self-growth and self-actualization.

 

Q: Any advice for fellow creatives?

A: For me, it’s about finding the balance between driving the vision forward and letting things happen organically. When I get inspired, I go all-in because ideas are flooding my brain—that’s when I feel the magic happening. But if I’m stuck, I give it time, approach it from another angle or seek feedback and new perspectives. It’s this dance between nurturing an idea enough to get it off the ground, but not forcing something when it doesn’t work. Of course, this is difficult when deadlines are involved, but I try to find space and time to let the idea unfold. And, obviously, the other side of this is collaboration—with fellow creatives, friends or, if you’re lucky enough to have one, a team of people who can take your ideas and mold them into something compelling, understandable and ready to share with the world.

 

 

Diving Deeper Into Each Symbol

Each reversible enneagram pendant features two hand-drawn symbols Chrissy spent years exploring, refining and assigning to each enneagram type. The symbol on the front of each pendant represents each enneagram type’s gifts (how you naturally shine) and the back represents each enneagram type’s guiding light (a lesson to help you shine your brightest)!  Let’s dive into the design of each symbol and how it encapsulates these strengths and lessons. 👇

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 1

An honorable and purposeful type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 1 Pendant stands for the gift of integrity—being honest and morally strong to the very core, even in the midst of adversity.

The back of the Type One’s pendant symbolizes acceptance. See it as a reminder to rise above the things you cannot change, and take a bird’s-eye view of any situation to gain clarity and meet others where they are.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 2

A supportive and nurturing type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram 2 Two Pendant stands for the gift of connection—immersing yourself with others with a sense of warmth, patience and generosity, and using this intersection to make the world a better place. 

The back of the Type One’s pendant symbolizes worthiness. See it as a reminder to direct love and support toward yourself in the same way you do with those around you. You deserve to build yourself up and prioritize yourself, too.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 3

A confident and ambitious type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 3 Pendant stands for the gift of achievement—allowing yourself your much-deserved time in the sun for your brilliant ideas, charisma and natural gifts that can change the world.

The back of the Type Three’s pendant symbolizes authenticity. See it as a reminder to be true to your core self and chase what authentically matters to you, beyond the layers of idealization and external validation.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 4

An original and inspiring type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 4 Pendant stands for the gift of uniqueness—the ability to see the world in new ways, find poetic beauty in the mundane and spin up off-center ideas that break free of rigid forms. 

The back of the Type Four’s pendant symbolizes connectedness. See it as a reminder to foster community, integrate yourself into the world around you and punctuate your life with deeper relationships and bonds that build you up. You’ll be all the stronger for it.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 5

A deep and intellectual type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 5 Pendant stands for the gift of competence—the strength of finding patterns, exploring your inner world and organizing it all into original, thought-provoking ideas you keep close to heart.

The back of the Type Five’s pendant symbolizes abundance. See it as a reminder to share your ideas with the world (not just keep them to yourself!) and reap the myriad rewards, insights and innovations it might provoke.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 6

A supportive and detail-oriented type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 6 Pendant stands for the gift of security—the ability to plan for the future, lead with logical decisions and create comfort for yourself. Your attention to detail is multilayered and multifaceted, and this serves you well in life. 

The back of the Type Six’s pendant symbolizes faith. See it as a reminder to let go, open yourself up and follow your intuition. All you need is within you—you are the key to unlocking everything you desire.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 7

A curious and passionate type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 7 Pendant stands for the gift of enthusiasm—the ability to open your life to experiences, see the world with childlike awe and cast light on everything you love.

The back of the Type Seven’s pendant symbolizes presence. See it as a reminder to pause. Slow down. Stay present in the here and now—and become the calm in the eye of the storm around you. 

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 8

A powerful and just type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 8 Pendant stands for the gift of taking charge—the ability to lead, delegate, direct others and help them shine their brightest. 

The back of the Type Eight’s pendant symbolizes letting go. See it as a reminder to let your guard down, break open the gates you might have built around yourself and create an opening for more magic and compassion in your life.

 

Symbols for Enneagram Type 9

An accepting and humble type, the symbol on the front of the Enneagram Type 9 Pendant stands for the gift of harmony—the ability to unite people, lead with fairness and equality and radiate peace and understanding.

The back of the Type Nine’s pendant symbolizes self-empowerment. See it as a reminder to break through the limits you might unknowingly impose on yourself, and courageously chase your passions to get in touch with your own desires.

 

 

How will your pendant inspire your path?

Already a fan of the enneagram? We hope your enneagram talisman inspires you to deepen your relationship with yourself and the world around you—because you have so many gifts worth sharing. New to the enneagram? Welcome to a new tool you’ll love for years to come!

 

Here’s to growth & self-love.

Team GLDN ✨