Many of her design ideas are inspired by the Hopi petroglyphs she’s viewed on raft expeditions, as well as images garnered on her travels to China and throughout the Southwest. Partial proceeds of all of Parker’s 5th Wave Designs (named after a 25-ft. drop in the Canyon’s Hermit Rapid) go to the Black Mesa Trust (www.blackmesatrust.org), a non-profit dedicated to protecting the Hopi Aquifer from depletion as a result of coal mining, thus preserving Hopi farming heritage and culture.

Parker emphasizes relying on recycled silver and stones, or hand cut stones made by gemologist colleagues, in order to avoid contributing to mining of precious stones and metals.

Way
The Tao symbol for "The Way".

Buddha Eyes
The eyes of the Buddha, seen on Stuppas (burial sites) around Thailand and Nepal.

The Om Symbol
This ancient Sanskrit symbol represents the sound of all creation.

The Eternal Knot
One of the eight sacred symbols of Tibetan Buddhism.

Om Mani Pad Me Hum
A Tibetan Buddhist mantra that is said to contain the entire teachings of the Buddha.

Spiral
The spiral is a design element present in many different cultures around the world. It is known to stand for such things as the upward spiral of consciousness or the cosmos.