This is a Story About a Girl Named Lucky

I have just come back from a visit to the "Ninth Island". My family and I traveled there for my grandmother, who is 93 years old. Our goal was to ensure that her final trip to Vegas would be joyful and unforgettable. We stayed at the... you guessed it, California Hotel, the spot where all the Hawaii folks usually gather.

I was warned about the summers in Vegas and told to brace myself for the heat. I thought I could handle it. Boy, was I mistaken. The moment we touched down, it felt like stepping into an oven. And when the wind picked up, it was like having a hairdryer blasting in my face on the hottest setting. To be honest, I was really taken aback because I’ve never felt weather like that before.

I wanted to surprise my grandmother with a special piece of jewelry to wear on her trip. I’m told, the lucky color to wear is red while gambling so I knew the focal stone would have to be the brightest red. I ended up choosing some dyed red coral cabochons.

I intended to incorporate some texture into the back plates, only to realize later that it is not visible. Oh well…

It was tricky to decide how many stones should be used since my grandmother’s wrist is so tiny. I pair each cabochon with a number to ensure I use the right bezel. Although they are generally the same size, there can still be minor differences that I want to avoid causing a bad fit.

I took some scrap metal and turned it into decorative balls by melting it on a charcoal block. Carefully soldered all pieces together to form a bracelet. And at the last minute, decided to make a matching ring.

As the trip was winding down, we were all feeling a bit low since it seemed like we had all lost. But one morning, we found ourselves playing on the Blazing 7 machines. I swear, my uncle hit the jackpot with the triple flaming 7’s. Just a few minutes later, three machines down, my other uncle also hit the flaming 7’s jackpot. And then, two machines to his left, my grandmother scored the flaming 7’s jackpot too. After their big wins, they continued playing and those triple 7's just kept appearing! I feel like we were causing quite a scene, but it was so incredibly bizarre! Eventually, I got lucky on one of the winning machines and hit triple 7’s not once, but twice.

I can't say for certain if this bracelet contributed to my grandmother's big win, but it was certainly a night to remember filled with extraordinary luck.

-T