mirror ball 74: jewelry

Do you have a piece of jewelry that is especially meaningful to you, perhaps because of its history, or novelty, or beauty? Tell us about it.

Anonymous:
By 1996, I had two of these:

One for me and one for my soul mate. My soul mate's stayed in a box in my closet, for even though I'd been in relationships (some long), I didn't feel any woman I was with was worthy of wearing this as I wore mine. Then, in 2004, after stupidly putting it in my briefcase and setting my briefcase on my car seat as I went in for a meeting, some punk smashed my window and grabbed it. I found the briefcase a few blocks away, but it was empty. I called the jeweler but no luck:  they were now out of business. Not only that, but I found out that the amulet is a copy of a well-known (in that country) piece of work and what I had was an unauthorized copy. No matter. It still represented what I wanted: two souls coming together to make a stronger whole.  About a month ago I realized I was crazy waiting for someone to come into my life to claim that spot of "soul mate". And I realized that I needed to wear it for myself. That making my SELF whole is more important than waiting/hoping for someone to come in and claim the crown. I now wear it with pride and joy, feeling it tap against my chest as I walk, reminding me that it's most important to be happy with one's self as we move through time and space.

Steve:
I considered writing about a ring that I got many years ago, or a necklace that I love, but decided to try to write about a bracelet that I don't even have yet. 

Mother's Day is coming up and I have been going through the annual process of trying to decide how (or whether) to communicate with my mom, with whom I have had a long (obviously), painful, and now apparently unfixable relationship. A couple of days ago I had a thought that felt really right-- this year I'll get myself a Mother's Day present, as a celebration of surviving all the badness.

For a while I have noticed ads in women's fashion magazines for bracelets with various silver charms and glass beads-- Pandora, Trollbeads, companies like that-- and I secretly loved the idea of collecting and wearing pretty charms. But there was a voice in my head that said this jewelry wasn't unique enough, masculine enough, special enough, cool enough, and so on.

Well, I realized that it's what I really want. I stayed up late one night this week picking and choosing from the Trollbeads site, and when I finally went to bed I had wicked insomnia, imagining how it would feel to wear my new "honoring myself" bracelet. There will be two thin brown leather straps that wrap twice around my wrist, connected with a silver clasp. I picked four handblown glass beads to wear in different combinations, one being a trio of orange, blue, and green beads that remind me of summer and the California beach. Leather and silver and glass; masculine/feminine; earthy/ethereal; handsome/pretty. Sparkling and colorful.

It's on its way.

Liz W:
I made this from two orphaned earrings and a little disc and chain from Collage*. The pearl is the moon, constant and changing, the feminine. The bear is strength and resiliency, also for some reason, an embodiment of "the mother", fierce and protective. Also very good at sleeping.

*a local art/crafting supply store.

Lori M:
This little clock was given to me by my grandfather some years ago. It is roughly 2" x 1.5" with a snake skin cover. When you press the side edges, it opens the little doors to let the clock apparatus hinge up. It's the coolest little piece of "jewelry" I've got. It reminds me of my grandpa who was an engineer, originally from Austria.

Kristine:

there are some lovely pieces of jewelry in my collection-nothing too fancy or precious but i have do have some nice thomas mann pieces and a vintage lea stein hedgehog pin (google her- she is fun). The pieces I enjoy wearing the most are from my mother and my favorite is one that my sister had for about eight years after my mother died. all of a sudden it turned up in my mail. It is a gold charm bracelet that i remember from my childhood. it has engraved charms for all five children (hearts and circles), smaller versions for all eleven grand kids, and then various anniversary engraved pieces. it is very jangley and helps me to remember birthdays.

Tanya:
Where do I begin to describe the wonderfulness of my jewelry…of any jewelry. I am a costume jewelry fanatic, but did not realize this for many years as most of my collection lived in shoe boxes and went forgotten because closet space was at a minimum. Then I built my house with the fabulous closet and two large and decadent drawers, two tiers, velvety bottoms and cozy compartments. Now I see the magnificence of my long forgotten friends!! It is one of my favorite things in my house, and already it is overflowing. It holds beady things, and Buddha things, silver and gold and bronze, gemstones, antique baubles and feathers and bells. My most cherished piece of all is a necklace that I designed and that my parents had made for me for my thirtieth birthday. They sent me pictures of stones from an old ring of my grandmothers and said "what would you like us to make for you from these?" So….I sketched out a one inch silver square with two cherubs surrounding a large oval opal (my birthstone) and surrounded by vines with little diamonds embedded within the leaves. The chain attaches at the two top corners, and it hangs just on my collarbone and is simply magical!! They inscribed it with their love on the back, and I feel their presence with me whenever I wear it. It feels lucky to me and I wear it when I want to feel my parents close by and bring along some really good mojo wherever I am going.

Heather:
I have a set of rings I never take off. Jeff & I looked at many sets then chose this one between two finalists. One with a uniquely mounted diamond, I got to wear as soon as it came from the jewelry maker. The more delicate ring of the set, I had to wait until a VERY SPECIAL DAY in September of 2009. These two rings sparkle & the sunlight dances off of them like happy fairy trails. Sometimes the sparkly light hits my eyes & it’s like a rainbow of color is emanating from the center diamond. When this happens, I’m reminded of that VERY SPECIAL DAY, the VERY SPECIAL SOMEONE, & the VERY SPECIAL LOVE that was, is, & will forever be shared. I’m reminded how very (almost unbelievably) blessed I truly am to be sharing such a beautiful friendship & love.

Bruce:

AN AMULET???

Not really, but it is a semi-correctly named piece of jewelry, but not the typical type.

It all began when I was attending the Weight Watchers weekly meetings. (I came to call them and characterize them as “cult meetings! They had the same ethos of report in, of “Bravo” stickers for the sign in food tracker journal, applause at other’s successes, etc.)  But they were helpful. I came to count on the meetings and I did, alas, reach my eventual goal!  (Less of ME!)

Then came the time that I had lost a certain amount of weight, and was given a KEY— made in China, of course!!—that I could put on my key-ring TO REMIND ME OF MY SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT!  (Never having been one to need external validation, I was sort of put off by this piece of “jewelry” on my key ring.) However, every time I pulled out my key ring with the car keys I was forced to see that little “gold” key—a reminder that I had met a goal. With difficult challenges it was helpful to have that constant reminder that I was on my way.

Well, you can imagine my— whatever— when I met my total goal and spent six weeks of required Maintenance, to be given an even larger key--- which I just fished out of my pocket as I write this mini-essay!!!—and listened to the “thunderous” applause from the fellow “losers”-- of weight!

And so, dear reader, it is now almost SIX years later since I have attended a weekly Weight Watcher “cult meeting”, but the two keys on my key ring are constant-daily reminder of my success…added to, of course, reduced size of pants and shirt, and girth!