How Jewelry Tells A Story

In this business, we meet people everyday. Every person has a story and the very best stories have a keepsake to hold that memory. That is what jewelry is. It’s a memory, a memory that stays with us. 

The most obvious is the engagement ring and wedding ring. As corny as it sounds, to this day, when I put on my engagement ring I remember the day my husband proposed. I remember the silly way he was acting all day and how I was irritated with his demeanor. How he seemed standoffish. As it turns out he was nervous, rehearsing in his head how and when he’d finally pop the question. The moment came. Walking along a pier in Murrells Inlet at sunset, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. No long speech, no crazy declarations, just a simple question...represented in a beautiful ring. Of course, I said “Yes!”.  

Then there are moments that are meaningful and memorable with friends and/or family.

I have the cross necklace my father gave me for my 16th birthday. I still wear it to this day. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the significance of the gift. My father didn’t make a lot of money. I knew this and I never expected a car, or a trip to Italy for my 16th. However he had saved up so that I could have a real gold cross on a lovely gold chain. Nicely made and of high quality. He wanted me to have something I could wear forever. Now, when I wear this necklace, I acknowledge his sacrifice and his hard work. I see the love he had for me and his hope that I’d grow to appreciate such things and cherish them beyond their monetary value. Of course I did and still do.

My favorite jewelry gift memory from childhood goes way back. 

I was probably around 7 or 8 years old. I would visit my Father every summer. During the day while he was at work, I attended a summer camp. We went swimming, hiking, had crafts and game time. It was a care-free time for me and I was a fun and outgoing girl. We liked to play pranks on each other. So one day I was standing on a chair behind a door, waiting for the next unsuspecting person to walk in so I could jump down and scare them. A boy my age, Josh, came around the corner and I jumped down. To my dismay as I landed I twisted my ankle badly and was taken to the hospital. I was placed on crutches for two weeks and could not return to camp. My father took me back a couple days later to say goodbye to my friends and collect my belongings. Just before we left I was buckling my seatbelt and Josh came running out of the building. I thought he was coming to tell me that I had forgotten something. I rolled down the window as he approached. Out of breath, he said “I told my Mom that I liked you and she said I should give you this!”. At which point he threw a box at me. It bounced off my temple and fell in my lap. Josh ran away back into the building. My dad sat there smirking. I opened the box. It was a little silver heart necklace with a white crystal in the corner. 

I don’t have that necklace anymore, sadly it was lost to me. I never saw Josh again. But I do think of him and that moment every time I see a heart necklace.  

Jewelry has a way of connecting us to moments in time. It reminds us of feelings of joy, love, and excitement. It can make connections through generations. How many of us wear our Grandmother’s ring, or our Mother’s pearls? Our Grandfather’s signet ring, or Dad’s college ring?

Jewelry is so much more than just fashion. It carries feelings, celebrations, it marks time ... It’s part of your story. Make sure you tell it well - with jewelry that is made well, to last.