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Does Jewelry Matter?

Last week, I was interviewed by my friend and jewelry lover Brenna (www.jewelrynavigator.com) for one of her upcoming podcasts.  I am so thrilled to meet people with a similar passion for jewelry; as a relative newcomer onto the jewelry scene, I have not yet been able to leave my old life behind, and my colleagues in IT are about as interested in jewelry as my jewelry friends would be in writing code!  It was wonderful to share my passion with Brenna, and of course, we had some interesting discussions.

One of the topics that came up is whether jewelry is frivolous.  Of course it is, but that doesn't diminish its importance in people's lives.  Basic microeconomic principles distinguish between needs (food, water) and wants (everything else) so by that measure pretty much everything is frivolous.  Let's look at why jewelry matters.

Take a piece of jewelry you have that you love.  What is the first thing you think about it when you see it or think about it?  Does your mind go to the intrinsic qualities of the piece - the 4 C's for a diamond, metal purity, how much you paid for it?  Unless you are looking at a piece you hope to sell, I don't think so.  We buy jewelry for ourselves and for others to commemorate an event or to celebrate a passion, even if the passion is as simple as a love for jewelry.

Jewelry becomes part of the folklore of our lives, and if you are lucky, you have inherited jewelry that was part of your parents', grandparents' and great-grandparents' lives.  Like other external expressions of our inner selves, jewelry tells a story about us to people we encounter.  Engagement and wedding rings, charm bracelets with children's initials, unusual pieces of contemporary or antique jewelry - has anyone ever stopped you to ask about your jewelry?  Think about what you told them about it.  I bet it was the story behind when you acquired it, and if it was a happy memory, it brought a smile to your face.

And these days, a little bit of joy is what is needed most in this world.  That doesn't feel too frivolous to me.

** Pictured: a Cartier Belle Epoque bracelet.  Having it on my arm would bring a lot of joy to my life!**