What does Andrew's mother's necklace represent in the film, Garden State?

Mark takes Andrew and Sam on a wild chase to retrieve his going away gift - Andrew's mother's necklace. Although he had not seen her in over 9 years, Andrew still loved his mother very much. As a young boy, he was sent away from his family because they considered him dangerous, but he never totally recovered from his painful history.

Mark realizes that Andrew's mother's favorite necklace is Andrew's one link to his past. More than anything else, his mother loved that necklace, and Mark recognizes its importance to Andrew. Although Andrew was never able to see his mother before she died or come to a sense of closure with the situation, by having his mother's necklace with him, Andrew will always have a certain positive link to his past.