What's in Your Jewelry Box?

Sep 13

What jewelry is a part of you? These are the pieces that are so special you rarely wear them. Or you wear them every day. Take a peek inside other women’s jewelry boxes and see their forever pieces sparkle, hear their stories, hold them close.

Jewelry keeps life's sparkly moments close for this sentimental writer

Here's the thing: I cry when I watch lost-pet-reunion videos, insurance commercials, and Insta fashion stories. But if you polled people who know me, most of them would probably say, "Gail's not really the emotional type." That's because a chill demeanor is just as much a part of my outside-world uniform as my tees, jeans, and oversized blazers.

But then there's my jewelry.

The rings, earrings, and bracelets I wear can't help but telegraph my secret: I'm one giant puddle of sentimentality inside. I didn't fully realize the extent of the connection between my jewelry and my heart until I thought about, well, what is in my jewelry box?

The short answer: more gold than silver, family, and wonderful memories.

That at age thirteen, I, a Jewish girl growing up in suburban New Jersey, didn't have a bat mitzvah has long been a regret of mine. It doesn't make up for the fact that I didn't get to read a Torah portion, but my parents gave me this chunky 14k gold "GG" ring for my birthday that year. It's all I wanted. I still love it. And every time I wear it (a lot), it brings me back to my happy, carefree kid days. P.S. The "Carrie" necklace has nothing on the "GG" ring.

This thick gold charm bracelet is true vintage—they don't make them like this anymore. The double-link, 14k gold chain is weighty, and the heart-shaped clasp is such a sweet detail. It was a gift from my dad to my mom while the two were dating (circa late '50s). I found it years ago while rummaging through a jewelry box in my parents' bedroom. Mom said I could have it, so I have it. I typically wear this non-jangly bracelet when I want to make a chic, understated statement. The outstanding question: whether or not it ever actually held charms. "Who knows," Mom says.

The thrill of receiving a gift of fine jewelry from a romantic partner never gets old. But buying something special for oneself is equally exciting. These small diamond studs were a happy-35th-birthday-to-me gift. I went to a trusted jeweler on NYC's 47th Street, picked out the stones, and watched as they were placed in their white gold settings. It was the most money I had ever spent on myself. The experience and the studs are a constant reminder to flex my independent-woman muscles.

When my mom decided to give her emerald-shaped diamond engagement ring a make-under by scrapping her ornate, yellow-gold '80s setting, I had no idea I would benefit. She had the two small baguettes made into a delicate pinky ring. And since my older sister Jill isn't into bling of any kind, the beauty was mine. I treasure it so because it represents my parents' marriage. At first, I wore it only for special occasions. Now I sport it regularly, solo, or as part of a stacked-up hand.

I've never seen another watch like this, and I love that fact almost as much as the timepiece itself. The bold silver detailing, gold accents, and weathered leather band add up to serious cool. Mostly, though, this old-timey watch has my absolute affection because it belonged to my dad. He's no longer here, but when I wind up the hands it feels like he's with me. A long-ago gift from my mother, it was meticulously stored in a case in Dad's bureau. My brother David got most of my father's beloved watch collection, and that's fine with me. But when I saw this one, I knew it was mine.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

Editor: Samantha Durbin

Wordsmith: Gail Goldberg

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