As it states in our Mariamor mission statement, “we are more than a jewelry company.” This truth could not have been more evident than through our recent journey with Maria Bello and NCIS;

Mariamor is about the mission, the message, and spreading love.

NCIS cast picture

     In 2017, I was working as a collegiate soccer coach at Pepperdine University. As a 7-day-a-week gig, there was not much “down time,” so in order to fulfill the creative void in my life, I began designing and stamping my “pennies from heaven” collection (coins found on the ground meant to be prayers sent from above) in the living room of my high-rise apartment building in Santa Monica. It was a way to relax after long days of coaching, accidentally frustrate my neighbors with excessive noise (oops), and spread a little love in a world often plagued with darkness.

     Graciously (and a bit surprisingly), Brentwood General, an adorable gift shop in Santa Monica, had asked to carry several pieces of my hand-crafted collection. Looking back, I laugh. The packaging was sub-par and the coin was the definition of perfectly imperfect, but you could not have convinced me of it then. I was proud and honored to be included in this home boutique, and was even more excited to hear that an actress named Maria Bello had acquired an interest in our designs. We may not have been a fully functioning company, but it didn’t matter. As I said before, it was never about the jewelry for us, and neither for her: It is in the messages that you find the true purpose of Mariamor. The necklace that she chose was a stamped FAITH quarter on a gold chain with a cross attached to one side. Little did I know, that was the moment that would change our business forever.

Faith gold necklace

     After that, we spotted Maria wearing the necklace daily; on social media posts, televised interviews, at award and charity shows, and much more. She obviously loved the necklace and the message, and was proud to keep it close. As thrilled as I was, I was still only a soccer coach. What was I going to do with that kind of publicity?

maria bello

     A year passed, I left Pepperdine to start Mariamor “officially,” and business had started to take off. We were selling at boutiques, street fairs, art shows, trade shows, and home parties; pretty much anywhere where we could get eyes on our products and hearts in our messages. One afternoon, I received a call from the owner of Brentwood General. She told me that they needed five exact replicas of Maria’s necklace; that Maria had been picked up as a recurring character in the upcoming NCIS season and that they would love to make the FAITH necklace that she owned part of her onscreen character.

     During her first episode in the show, we knew that the necklace was going to be more than a costume accessory for her new character, Jack Sloane, just as it was for Maria. Sloane had a history, a backstory, that to which she and the necklace were deeply intertwined. From the first episode where we see the skin on her back full of vicious scars, to flashbacks of her military days in captivity, to the season 15 finale where we learn about her captors and her abuse, the message of faith continues to tie in and be relevant to her perseverance and continual hope for better days.

maria bello jack sloane and aby in ncis

     Last week, in the Season 16 premier, through an exhaustive search for her abducted NCIS director, Sloane overcomes her haunting past. She finds faith in herself, her comrades, and her country, and is finally at peace with the cloud of her past that had been darkening her days. At the end of this episode, after she out-maneuvers her past captor and frees her friend (NCIS Director Vance), she finds her way back to the place that her journey of faith began; to the gravesite of her brothers: the team of soldiers with whom she had been captured and abused.

     In the episode, she kneels at the base of the headstones. She takes off her FAITH Statement Necklace, that she had been wearing every day (in each episode), holds it tight in her hands, closes her eyes, and kisses the coin and the message of faith that has helped her endure so much. She puts it carefully into a box with the badges of her fallen brothers, takes a deep breath, and buries the necklace and box in the grass with them. Her journey of faith and the road to recovery concluded. 

     Now, were we sad to see the FAITH necklace go from NCIS? Yes, but this conclusion only exemplifies the true meaning of Mariamor; to SPREAD LOVE and to be an encouragement and inspiration any owner of our designs. It is evident that within the NCIS family, this mission and the meaning of our coin was intimately understood. The FAITH necklace played a key role the defining of Sloane’s life and her character, just like we hope for each one of our customers.

     It was a wild year full of incredible highs, and the impact that our coin made on Maria, Sloane, me, and so many of you that have found our site, has been one of the highlights of my life and that of our company. Her journey with her coin was a true embodiment our mission; to be more than a jewelry company and to spread light and love in the lives of others. As we continue to grow, our hope is that you too can find a coin message that speaks to you, maybe it is Maria’s FAITH coin or one of the dozens of others, and that it can be a daily reminder to live that message out loud and 

Every Day, SPREAD LOVE.

Comments

Christine M Geno said:

I purchased the Faith necklace, after seeing it last season on NCIS and wondering where it came from. Honestly, I don’t remember how I found it but so glad I did. Then I met you last year during the Sugar Plum boutique at OC Fairgrounds. I wanted to come to your holiday event but was out of town. I have been thinking about a monthly subscription for over a year and finally signed up today for the Premium. Happy Valentine’s Day to me. I love your jewelry, the messages and the story behind your company. You are beautiful inside and out. Thanks for spreading joy, positivity, and love, we need more of it!

A Happy Wife of a wonderful man and blessed mother of 2 boys!

Christine

Anne Brown said:

I have always been a faithful follower of NCIS. But I was quite taken by the newest member Jack Sloane. I have always love Mario as an actress. I had notice her necklace from the beginning. A Stunning unique piece. And the final episode surrounding this piece was simply breathtaking.

I have always been a believer in God. I am now 63. I have lost a brother to a car accident at 27. A cousin at 21 another at 25. All within a year when I was 21. But I believed there was a purpose and truly believed in my faith. Married and had two boys And life was good. Then when I was fifty my mom died at 74 of an accident. My younger brother continued a path of alcoholism due to our brothers death. Finally helped my sister-in-law with a divorce after he continually drove with his children.

Lost my sisters live because of this. But in my heart my faith kept me going.

When I was fifty found my husband cheating. My boys fell apart. But I kept going and tried to forgive and move on. Because we had had a good marriage and life. But my husband hadbecome. manipulative and lying man. So we stayed together to get the boys through college. He became emotionally abusive and I allowed it. He left me in January 2012. My youngest son was on a destructive path woth alcohol and we were going to take him to rehab in June 2012. A week before he had a terrible car accident. We were blessed that no one besides him was injured. He was not given any hope. He was in ICU after several trauma surgeries. I spent most of my time in the chapel trying to get my faith back on. tract. I had lost so much when I found out about my husband. And trying to protect my children.

Hunters condition was grave. One night was so bleak I aske the Chaplin to anoit him and pray with me. It was a surreal experience but I was ready to let him go to be with so many wonderful relatives gone before.

After 10 days he suffered a sever TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. he was in a coma from the beginning. Every night I prayed to God and my GUARDIAN ANGELS. After a month we were transferred to Atlanta Georgia to a wonderful rehab facility
SHEPERD CENTER.

HERE my faith truly took a hold of me. I heard miracles of life after TBI. But also realized I was on my own. After six months the doctors suggested Hunter be put in a facility. I had seen good signs but not what the doctors were looking for. So I decided to bring him home. Asked my husband to move home to help and he said no so my older son moved in with me to help.

Hunter was in a wheelchair and in a hospital bed and on a feeding tube. But he showed me many signs he was there.

We began rehab and everyday with only five hours of sleep a night after two years hunter emerged a lot. His dog Grady was a huge key.

Many therapies much instruction from
This old kindergarten teacher and mine and Hunters faith today hunter is walking talking etc.

Six years he is all there. Speech is still a little problem but the one thing that stuck me through all of this was our faith, my guardian angels watching over us and my motto.

Brain injury patients and caregivers all agree. These patients who get help continue forever to improve.

NEVER EVER GIVE UP

NEVER STOP TRYING

Long story short I love necklaces.
A d when I saw the one Mario had on I fell in love.

Thank you for capturing what we all believe at some point in our lives. I saw this on Facebook today and plan on ordering. Just can’t decide the FAITH ONE OR THE NEVER GIVE UP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR TAKENT AND BELIEFS.

ANNE BROWN
Greenville South Carolina
6 years ago my 25 year old son a senior in col

Heather said:

I love my necklace so much

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