Why We Wear Jewelry
Why do we love jewelry? What does it symbolize? The story we tell in jewelry is a highly individualized one: why we choose the emerald or the turquoise, silver or gold, the bold statement bracelet or delicate whisper chain, a family crest or a cherished grandfather’s wedding band.
Cultures all over the world have been adorning themselves with jewelry for millennia. Often more than for personal decoration jewelry was worn as a declaration of wealth and power. Crowns were designed for royal bloodlines with crosses and saints to honor their Christian beliefs. Pearls and large diamonds were worn by queens to project purity and great strength. Egyptians donned lapis lazuli and gold to emulate their gods. The Vikings crafted their jewelry to be used as spiritual protection and doubled as portable currency. Their traditional arm and neck rings identified their allegiance to a tribe and amulets were worn around the neck to invoke the protection and blessings of their gods.
This part is my favAUrite: jewelry as a symbolic gift, given for protection, a sentimental souvenir from a specific time or place, or an heirloom as a reminder of ancestry or achievement. In Vedic astrology precious stones, representing Navratnas, are chosen based on an individual’s birth charts and planetary alignments at birth. These stones are believed, among other things, to channel specific energies, shield from negativity and promote balance. Stones are chosen and set for the individual and worn for an entire lifetime. The Hamsa of Jewish and Israeli tradition is given as a ward against the evil eye. Similarly, there are the scarabs of ancient Egyptian culture which are carried into the afterlife, and in China, jade discs or bracelets are worn to bring good fortune. Around the world it’s traditional for new mommas to receive jewelry with the birthstone representing baby’s birth month (lucky April babes!). In stark contrast, we honor the legacy of those we have lost, transforming our grief into remembrance through mourning jewelry. All these pieces are passed down through generations.
As we enter the season of giving, your FavAUrite girls are curious about how you treat yourself and others. Are you marking a milestone or entering a new phase of life? Are you celebrating a great year and a well-deserved bonus? Was it your first trip to your ancestral homeland? Did you find the antique carnelian intaglio signet ring, or Italian cornicello that will forever remind you of the people, the city and the landscape? Maybe you, gold worshipper, just F^#&%G love gold so much that you need another bracelet from the new goldsmith you found to balance out the other four.
Last bit… Dear ladies, we encourage you to invest in your own jewelry. Let THEM buy you jewelry because that is so beautiful and loving, but something you buy for yourself is powerful. Building a jewelry collection on your own is a whole new game that completely elevates your closet. Let your FavAUrite wardrobe - your jewelry! - inform your clothing wardrobe!
How are you telling your story with jewelry?
