Is Jewelry Frivolous? Or Is It Something More?
Last week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by my friend Brenna of Brenna Johnson for an upcoming episode of her podcast at Jewelry Navigator. Conversations with people who share a passion for jewelry are always a joy—especially for someone like me, who arrived in the jewelry world after spending years in a completely different one.
In my previous life working in IT, conversations about code were common. Conversations about jewelry… not so much. My technology colleagues tend to be about as interested in gemstones and antique jewelry as my jewelry friends are in debugging software.
So sitting down with Brenna to talk about jewelry—its meaning, its history, and the stories it carries—felt like being very much among kindred spirits.
One of the questions that came up during our conversation was simple but surprisingly thought-provoking:
Is jewelry frivolous?
The Question of Frivolity
At first glance, the answer might seem obvious.
Jewelry is not a necessity in the way food, water, or shelter are necessities. In economic terms, jewelry clearly falls into the category of “wants.”
But that definition alone doesn’t capture the role jewelry plays in human life.
If you think about it, nearly everything that enriches our lives could be labeled frivolous by that strict definition—art, music, literature, travel, beautiful objects.
Yet these things are precisely what make life meaningful.
Why Jewelry Matters
Think about a piece of jewelry you own that you truly love.
When you see it, what comes to mind first?
Is it the technical specifications—the metal purity, the gemstone grading, the price you paid for it?
Probably not.
More often, what comes to mind is the story.
Perhaps it was a gift marking an important moment in your life. Perhaps it was something you saved for and bought for yourself. Perhaps it was inherited—an object that once belonged to someone whose life was intertwined with yours.
Jewelry is rarely just an object.
It is a marker of memory.
Jewelry as Personal Folklore
Over time, jewelry becomes woven into the folklore of our lives.
An engagement ring marks the beginning of a partnership. A charm bracelet collects the milestones of childhood and family life. An antique brooch might carry the elegance and personality of a grandmother whose stories we still tell.
These objects become small archives of human experience.
If you have ever inherited a piece of heirloom jewelry—something worn by your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents—you know exactly what this means.
The object carries with it not just beauty, but continuity.
Jewelry Tells Our Stories
Jewelry is also a form of communication.
Long before social media profiles or curated personal brands, people used jewelry to express identity and sentiment.
An unusual antique ring, a symbolic talisman, a Victorian love token, or a modern heirloom necklace—all of these pieces quietly tell something about the person wearing them.
Have you ever had someone stop you and ask about a piece of jewelry you were wearing?
When they did, what did you tell them?
Chances are you didn’t begin with the metal alloy or gemstone grading.
You probably told them the story.
Where it came from.
Who gave it to you.
Why it matters.
And if the memory was a happy one, you likely smiled while telling it.
Jewelry and the Stories We Carry
At Heavenly Vices, this idea sits at the heart of everything we create.
Our collections—whether inspired by Victorian love tokens, symbolic motifs, or historic traditions—are built around the belief that jewelry should do more than sparkle.
It should carry meaning.
It should preserve stories.
It should become part of the personal narrative of the person who wears it.
Because jewelry, at its best, is not simply decoration.
It is a form of storytelling.
A Little Joy
Perhaps jewelry is technically a luxury.
Perhaps it is even frivolous by the strictest economic definition.
But if something brings joy, preserves memories, connects generations, and tells stories about who we are and what we love, it hardly feels trivial.
In fact, in a world that often feels uncertain, small sources of joy may be more meaningful than ever.
And jewelry—beautiful, symbolic, deeply personal jewelry—has been providing that joy for centuries.
That doesn’t feel frivolous to me at all.
Pictured: a Belle Époque bracelet by Cartier. Wearing a piece like that would certainly bring a little extra joy to any day.