Hurricane Souvenirs: The Cruzan Hook Home > Hurricane Souvenirs: The Cruzan Hook
Our "storm meister" is Senior Contributor Steve Faber, who came to study meteorology out of necessity, learning the skills out of an aversion to death and dismemberment -- his own! For years he was a private pilot and understanding weather was a basic survival skill....
If you've shopped for gold bangle-style bracelets you've probably seen Cruzan Hooks. The classic design looks like a horseshoe at one end of a gold band bent into a latching hook at the opposite end. Cruzan Hooks are found everywhere in the U. S. Virgin Islands, but, over time have spread to jewelry stores throughout the country. Creation of the Cruzan Hook design -- which has been around for 40 years -- is usually credited to St. Croix jewelry store, Sonya Ltd.
What you may not know is that, in their early incarnations, Cruzan Hooks were designed as mementos for having survived West Indies hurricanes. Each one has a design in the "hook" portion that graphically represents some specific attribute of its specific storm. If you see someone in the Islands with an inordinate number of hook bangles clanking on their wrist, chances are you're looking at a veteran of multiple hurricanes wearing their battle ribbons.
Have a cruise diverted or cancelled by a hurricane? Or, have a collision with one where you live? Next time you're shopping for souvenirs consider Sonya's. (And if you simply like the design, don't worry -- it isn't conisdered bad luck, or bad form, to wear the hook without weathering the storm.)
Our "storm meister" is Senior Contributor Steve Faber, who came to study meteorology out of necessity, learning the skills out of an aversion to death and dismemberment -- his own! For years he was a private pilot and understanding weather was a basic survival skill....
