jewelry

[libby]

Just a bunnytrail off the thread on looking good. How do you handle jewelry? Do you have a lot of it? Do you wear it daily or just on special occasions? How do you keep it organized? Just curious..........

[artist]

I only wear my wedding band.

[JaneV2.0]

I have a nice large wooden organizer-type jewelry box with hooks for necklaces, slots for rings, and drawers for pins and miscellany. I have a separate box for watches. I tend to wear one item to death, then temporarily retire it and wear something else for awhile. The only constant is a gold and diamond band my SO gave me our first Christmas together. Some of my favorite pieces are thrifted, like a pair of teeny spotted slug dangle earrings--perfect for the Pacific Northwest. I am not now, nor have I ever been a minimalist. Plenty of time for that when I'm dead.

[KayLR]

Jane! My daughter just gave her sister a pair of Made in Oregon slug earrings for Christmas! So funny!

I wear earrings (small, not dangly) a ring, and a bracelet daily. That's it. Sometimes a watch if I'm going to be out and about with lots of places I have to be, but they bug me.

[Float On]

I have a white glass dish that has little holes around the top. The 3 pair of earrings I'm not wearing hang in those holes. I only wear french hook style because post earrings are off the devil and hurt when talking on the phone or getting a hug. I have one silver necklace that my entire collection of pendants will fit on, the pendants are in a wood tray because they are pretty. I have a lot of wirewrap bracelets that I slid over a seedpod vase (from Austrailia I think). I wear my rings.

[iris lily]

Just a bunnytrail off the thread on looking good. How do you handle jewelry? Do you have a lot of it? Do you wear it daily or just on special occasions? How do you keep it organized? Just curious..........

I've got about a dozen pairs of costume earrings that I wear regularly. For fine jewelry I've got only 3 rings and I don't wear them all of the time. Plus, there is one pair of old family victorian gold earrings.

I keep the "fine" jewelry hidden. I keep the earrings (along with misc other bracelets that I wear about 1X a year) on a shelf in the closet. The earrings are in a round dish thingy. They don't get tangled up.

I love my rings but have learned over the years that any other gold in earrings or bracelets are a complete waste on me. I lose them or damage them, and I HATE necklaces so that is completely OUT. I feel like my grandmother in a necklace.

[JaneV2.0]

...
I love my rings but have learned over the years that any other gold in earrings or bracelets are a complete waste on me. I lose them or damage them, and I HATE necklaces so that is completely OUT. I feel like my grandmother in a necklace.

Yeah, that necklace thing is touchy. I have some lovely ring pearls I never wear because there's just something so dowager about them. At least on me there would be. My Ugandan paper beads are fine, and I can get away with anything on a long cord or chain. I like to wear rings, bracelets, watches that I can look at and enjoy. I like the idea of pins, but don't wear them as much as I could. I really enjoyed Madeleine Albright's Read My Pins; I can see why she collects them.

[catherine]

I am very bad with jewelry--meaning I lose it.

So I'll only wear relatively inexpensive stuff, but it has to be handmade. If I'm going to adorn myself, I want an artist to benefit from it. My favorite pieces are:


A Bead for Life red necklace that I wear constantly. These are beads that Ugandan women make and sell. (beadforlife.org) ETA: Jane, you and I wear the same jewelry!!
My wedding ring
A pair of earrings I bought at an artist consignment shop in Ocean Grove
Earrings my kids gave me
Two necklaces that one of my favorite clients made me--they're beautiful and unique, and remind me that working for a client isn't always that bad.
Pearls that my husband gave me for our 25th anniversary

That's pretty much what I own and what I wear as far as jewelry is concerned.
I lost a diamond in a garden patch we planted with corn once and I never found it. My husband gave me diamond earrings once that were stolen from a jewelry store when I left them there to have them cleaned and although the stolen jewelry was traced to a drug dealer in Patterson NJ, I never got my diamond earrings back. Diamonds aren't THIS girl's best friend. They run when they see me.

[MamaM]

I have my wedding set, some small diamond studs- everyday. I do have 2 pairs of dangly earrings, 1 medium hoop, 4 cuffs, 1 watch, 3 necklaces. I gave away the rest.

[JaneV2.0]

I am very bad with jewelry--meaning I lose it.

... Diamonds aren't THIS girl's best friend. They run when they see me.

Except for one ring, my diamonds are in the vault. Having to worry about losing real valuables isn't simple. My favorite jewelry is cheap to moderately-priced. If I like looking at it--from CZs to paper--it's in.

[catherine]

Oh, and I forgot about the time my DH bought me diamonds in Venezuela, packed them in his suitcase, and they were stolen before I even got them. Yeah, the universe is definitely telling me something: like stick with paper beads.. and make sure your assets are insured.

[herbgeek]

For earrings, I use a clear box with compartments intended for hardware. Necklaces and earrings are hung up on 2 bulletin boards with pushpins. Pins just seem to hang onto the top of my dresser.

[IshbelRobertson]

I own a lot of family heirloom pieces. Some are quite ugly, but valuable,so they live in the bank. I don't suppose I look at them more than once a year.

I have a lot of'good' stuff bought by my husband, and I tend to take fancies and favour some things for periods, then I move on to other pieces. But, in the main, I wear my engagement ring, wedding ring, eternity ring on my 'wedding' finger. A sapphire and diamond ring on the same finger, right hand, a silver bracelet on my right wrist and a diamond and white gold watch on my left wrist. Ear rings I wear different ones every day.

[Tammy]

I wear my wedding band all the time. I wear the same small earrings every day, but take them out to sleep. I wear a watch only at work. I can't handle extra stuff on my body. It just bugs me.

[razz]

I have pearls studs in my ears, wedding band and diamond, a simple twin heart gold choker and my Bulova watch for most days. I have developed a reputation for the variety of pins/brooches that I wear to complement every outfit including jeans and tshirt. Occasionally I will wear another ring or other earrings but most jewelry is stored in the safety deposit box we have.
I cannot stand anything that clunks or is heavy around my neck.

[rosarugosa]

Catherine: Diamonds are my birthstone and I think they are SO boring. I never had an engagement ring because I didn't want one. I was a passionate rock collector when I was a kid, and that has influenced my taste in jewelry. I love opals and garnets and rhodochrosite & such. I have lots & lots of inexpensive earrings that I enjoy wearing - I like to match the stone color to the color of my shirt. I have 9 pairs of heart earrings: garnet, butterscotch amber, opal, amethyst, art glass, rhodochrosite . . .
I do have some "serious" gold jewelry, not terribly valuable, all small pieces, because I am a small person. I wear suits to work most of the time and tend towards a pin on my lapel rather than a necklace. I am clearly not a jewelry minimalist! I think jewelry is fun; I don't take it too seriously. My current favorite earrings are a $7.00 pair that DH picked out at Mexicali Blues in Portland.

[awakenedsoul]

I've started to really like jewelry again. I think it's really pretty. I wear some dainty dangly diamond earrings and a rose diamond pendant everyday. My mom gave them to me. She's getting older, and she was afraid someone might take them. I wear my favorite aunt's watch. It's a Citizen and still works really well. I replaced the battery. I also wear a rose gold engraved ring that my mom received from a friend of my grandmother's, and two opal rings. One was given to me by my aunt, the other is an heirloom from my mom. We are both Libras. I have a very pretty opal bracelet and a diamond bracelet that my mom just passed on to me, too. I don't wear them much. I think I will start. I hate to have jewelry sitting in a box or in a safe deposit box. (No offense to those who keep their valuables there.) Oh, and I have a strand of pearls from a friend of my grandmother's and small dangly pearl earring from my mom's grandmother. Now that I'm knitting sweaters I plan to wear those more often. I keep my jewelry in a couple of small decorative boxes.
My grandma used to say, "The best way not to lose your wedding rings is to wear them."

[Rosemary]

I recently went back to wearing earrings after about 10 years without due to metal allergies. Most of my other allergies have really been minimal in the past few years with dietary changes so I decided to try this, too, and as long as I stick with silver and gold posts my ears are ok. However in the past 2 months I've lost 3 earrings... so I need to be more careful when changing clothes and taking off hats, I think.

I wear necklaces rarely and bracelets almost never, but a watch (which I don't consider jewelry) and rings - my own wedding and engagement rings, and my grandmother's engagement ring - daily.

[awakenedsoul]

I have lost many earrings, too. It's upsetting. The ones I have now have a lock. They snap into place and are secure.

[pinkytoe]

Up until a few weeks ago, I kept the few things I routinely wear on an antique porcelain tray on my dresser. But I got an idea off pinterest to make my own jewelry holder and now they are neatly organized on that - my wedding ring, a simple silver and turquoise Native American cuff dh gave me and some silver hoop earrings. I have a lot of jewelry but for whatever reason, don't seem to wear most of it.

[dado potato]

Like artist, I only own 1 piece of jewelry, which is my wedding band. The wedding ring I had made for my DW is insured ... I smile when she takes it off (like to stuff a turkey), because it's appraised and insured for W-A-Y more than it cost to put together.

FWIW I think it is admirable for a woman to have a gem of an intellect, along with nuggets of insight. I druther that, than she own/wear gems set in gold.

[domestic goddess]

I wear a watch most of the time (it's a nurse thing), and one of three necklaces: a Celtic cross my mother gave me, a Tree of Life my daughter gave me, or a chain and one of several charms I inherited from my mother. I also inherited 2 diamond rings from my mom, one of which was her wedding ring, and a pair of earrings that were my grandmother's, but we haven't located them yet. I only wear my watch when working, and often a necklace, since I can tuck it inside my scrub top, but never a ring, and I usually forget to put one on when I am not working. Much like my cell phone, which I never remember to turn on when I'm not working, since I turn it off while at work. I lost the stupid thing (phone) for a couple of days and never missed it, and no one called me. Yeah, I'm real popular!

[domestic goddess]

Wow, that's the first time I've used the phrase "inherited from my mother". Seems strange.

[redfox]

I have lots of vintage stuff I rarely wear. May give it away... And several pretty handmade silver & turquoise pieces. Aso some fresh water pearls, in modern, quirky settings. Don't wear any of it much...

[Wildflower]

I love jewelry. I love looking at others' jewelry. I really like the artsy, crafty, homemade beaded stuff. I have a friend that makes jewelry for a living. I love looking at her stuff. But I don't love wearing jewelry at all....
What I wear daily, is my wedding ring and anniversary ring, my tiny diamond stud earrings, sometimes I change them out to tiny hoops, and the occasional necklace when going out.
I inherited alot of my Mother's and Grandmother's jewelry, which again I love to look at, but not wear....

[Simplemind]

I admire the heck out of women who can pull off accesories with flair. What I love to look at on others is something I would never wear. I barely wear color! I have an engagement ring on my left hand and a wedding ring on my right. I wear a nice watch and a lovely pair of platinum hoops. My mother in law gave me a beautiful celtic cross necklace a couple of years ago that she brought back from Killarney. I wear these pieces each and every day. I tell people not to buy me jewelry because I won't take off what I'm wearing and any more would be too much.
My mom loved all things sparkly. In her later years she worked at a high end consigment shop as a volunteer one day a week. I don't think she ever came home without a purchase. Other than her wedding ring and another she had made, I don't associate any of that jewelry with her. She passed almost a year ago and I think much of it is going to return to the same shop because I'll never wear it.

[domestic goddess]

Oh, Simplemind, maybe out mothers were related! My mom loved her bling! She had a lot of costume jewelry, but some good pieces, too. She worked for years in a local jewelry store, and had a chance to see all the estate pieces when they came in, and just to browse the rest. She also enjoyed buying crystal. If it sparkled, she loved it! Certain pieces she was adamant that I have, and my dd has a ring, too. My niece has no interest in it, but I'm saving some for her in case she changes her mind. My brother takes the costume stuff to the Goodwill where he works, and he has said it usually sells the day they put it out, so I guess a lot of people like the sparkly stuff. I will never get rid of the rings my mom wanted me to have, even though I don't wear them often, but I know how much it meant to her that I have them.

[Spartana]

I generally don't wear jewelry unless I'm going out somewhere special. Then it's very simple stuff - usually just some funky earrings or hoop ear rings. I don't like rings at all and never wore my wedding ring - and couldn't wear it or any jewelry on the job as it was a safety hazard - although I sometimes did wear it on the job (small stud earrings too) even if I wasn't suppose too. A girl just has to accessorize her wet suit ya know :-)! So would just wear it and other jewelry occasionally. Got rid of almost all the jewelry I owned and just have a few things I really like.

ETA: I also don't like accesories much and rarely wear them. Don't own any scarfs, pins, belts, etc...

[HomemadeChange]

I store my dangly earrings on a vintage cheese grater I bought for $3, painted a funky color and added little feet (drawer pulls that were free) to the bottom. For necklaces, my dad handmade a tree of sorts for a xmas present one year. Love them both.

I wear my wedding set every day. And change earrings/necklaces fairly often. This "accessorizing" is new to me. I wore the same pair of diamond studs given to me by my mom for 5 years straight I think. I have to admit I enjoy changing the look of an outfit just by changing out the necklace or earrings. Especially, when all the pieces were great, cheap finds! I recently went through all my jewelry (obtained over a decade from various sources: friends, family, exboyfriend or two) and sold a lot of it to a local shop. I guess that is actually when I started wearing some of the items I kept. Knew what I had and appreciated them again--- plus could actually see them now with my new displays :)

[IshbelRobertson]

In my bank security box, I have two old family tiaras. One I wore at my wedding, the other my daughter wore to hers. I cannot imagine another occasion to wear either, but the burden of family tradition means I keep them! I would LOVE to just sell them, along with other inherited, but largely ugly pieces, but my conscience won't let me!

[Simplemind]

Now a tiara I could get behind......... I would wear it everywhere. Dress it up and dress it down. I have a pair of barn boots just begging for a tiara treatment. IshbelRobertson if I had a daughter I would be hard pressed to not have a mother/daughter portrait taken while wearing them both formal and informal. What fun!

Domestic Goddess (possibly long lost sister) my mom has so much that only the things that she wore with any regularity mean anything us. She had the most dainty hands and my little vienna sausage fingers wouldn't fit into any of her rings so I made sure my sister got them. I have bags and bags seperated by type of piece and then separated by silver/gold or platinum. I have only started to take care of some of the costume jewelry and have had some sold through estate sales and consignment stores. I'm still holding onto "the good stuff" for my sister and brother to look at when they feel they are able. I did keep one bracelet that I will wear on special occasions. I had the inside engraved with her last words to me and the date she died. I feel very close to her when I wear it.

[Tussiemussies]

I have jewelry but only usually wear my wedding band. On special occasions I will wear more...