Family traditions or stories regarding the giving and/ or receiving of jewelery

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#76
When my parents first married, my dad bought my mom jewelry as an apology after fights, haha! Two kids later and he can't quite afford that anymore ;) Luckily for my mom, my brother and I are grown, so maybe my dad will pick up the habit again…
 
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#78
suchi said:
I had my daughter on 10th Oct. I am planning to get a plain gold band with mine, DH's and her name inscribed in it. I plan to pass it on to her on her 16th b'day.
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Congrats!!! Babies are such a blessing!!! I was born the 10 of October at 10 pm. I call myself a triple Libra or the ultimate Libra. My daughter was born 10/06, I tried to hold her in a few more days!!!
 
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#79
Not so much a "family" tradition but cultural. In my culture, there is a "formal" engagement wherein the grooms family presents the bride and her family with gifts (sorta like a dowry?). I received several jewelry sets which I will pass on to my daughter and my son's future wife.
 
#81
My mother is not very generous when it comes to jewelry. She wants to give us only when shes dead. Still, i managed to receive my grandmothers pearl ring (the one she wears everyday) in advance by trading my louis vuitton neverful for it. Thats my favorite heirloom. Now, im waiting for that diamond necklace my mom promised to give me next
 
#82
My mom has started giving her jewelry to us (my daughters and me) now, while she is around to see us wear and enjoy the pieces. She gave her David Yurman cuff bracelet to my daughter for her 21st birthday. Two Christmases ago, she gave me her beautiful pearl strand.
 
#83
We don't have this tradition, my grandmother / mother don't remember sth like this neither. But I think my daughter will receive everything of mine whether she wants it or not. :biggrin: Most of the jewelry I've bought for myself was picked out by her, anyway. She can do with it as shee sees fit.
 
#84
I have my paternal grandmother’s wedding rings that were left to me in her will. She had three granddaughters and we were each gifted one specific thing. The rest of her jewelry (nothing wildly valuable) was taken to a jeweler friend and appraised and then divided into three lots of more or less equal value. Each of the granddaughters then picked a number and received that lot of jewelry. I was in 6th grade when she died and there was one pair of earrings that I always remember that she wore. Wouldn’t you know that they was in my “lot.” More so then her rings, which sit in a safety deposit box, these costume earrings are the thing that makes me feel closest to my grandmother.

My mother gave me the diamond ring that my father gave her when I was born. She gave my sister a diamond bracelets from when she was born. As I am born in October, all my mother’s opals will go to me and since my sister was born in November she will get all the topaz pieces. My sister will get my mother’s very large engagement ring even though I am the oldest. It does bother me a bit but what am I going to do about it? Sadly I doubt my sister will ever wear it as she does not have a lifestyle that would reflect such a piece (that’s not a jab btw, she is more sporty and zen and wears a lot of beads and such. Her wedding ring is a silicone band.). Guess the diamond will sit in a box or be sold off to fund a yoga studio or something.

The piece that I treasure the most is my father’s ring. He was given it to him by his father and it was the only ring he ever wore. He wore it on his left ring finger in place of a wedding band. When he died suddenly at home my sister and I said our last goodbyes when they brought him into the hospital DOA. The nurse took the jewelry he was wearing (the ring and a watch and handed them to me. My father and I always had a close relationship so if there is any ring that I am going to have from either of my parents I am glad that it’s this one. I don’t wear it but I have thought about having some sort of caged type of pendant made that would hold it inside. I can picture it in my mind but need to find a jeweler to make my vision come to life. My sister can have the diamond ring from my mother, this piece means more to me than anything even though the only value it has is sentimental.
 
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#85
My grandpa gave my grandma a strand of pearls for their 50th wedding anniversary. My cousin tried to swipe them when she passed (she is the first born granddaughter) but I'm pretty sure my Mom has them, as she should. I have a lovely pearl strand from them for when I graduated HS so I hope they go to one of my sisters; I believe jewelry should be passed on from mother to daughter. We have some nicer semi precious jewelry of hers and my mom has her wedding set.

Now I am trying to build a small collection of nice pieces I can pass on to my children: a white gold set from my wedding, and a 0.4 bezel set diamond pendant in platinum for the birth of our first child. I may custom order a diamond "sprinkle" necklace for our up coming wedding anniversary, and maybe a pair of diamond studs for our ten year. H is a lovely but practical man and, until very recently, we haven't had extra money to buy nice jewelry; it kind of pains him to spend a lot at a time but he's coming around lol.

Jewelry boxes tell a story. Growing up my mom never got "nice" jewelry from my dad and they couldn't really afford it earlier anyway; now she's the type of person who'd never "ask" for it so as I become more financially able I like to get her stuff. When I get my first big paying job I want to get her something really special.
 
#87
Love this thread! I come from a Caribbean family and a tradition we have is we buy custom gold pieces before a baby is born and save them in a special box. Then, when the baby is finally born, he or she has the pieces ready to wear. When my siblings and I were born we had a box of jewelry from our mom, dad, aunts, uncles, god parents and family friends who each bought small pieces from pendant necklaces to bangles. Even though I was born in the US I want to do the same when I have kids one day. Most of my friends who are also first generation Americans of Caribbean heritage do the same.
 
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#88
In Hawaii, a Hawaiian tradition is for girls to rec’v a Hawaiian (heirloom) bracelet with their Hawaiian name engraved and enameled (traditionally) or some variation there of. Sometimes I come across older ladies who have their mothers and grandmother bracelets, and it’s warming to see. Often Hawaiian names have special meanings or significance for various reasons. The designs and styles have also changed over the years, and vary from jeweler to jeweler. Traditionally the jewelry was made in yellow gold, but they can be found in sterling too. Heirloom pieces can be found in other pieces like rings, and pendants, but the bracelet was the piece we all waited for as teenagers. My pieces are I the safe at the moment, or I’d post a pic.
 
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#89
In Chinese culture, gifts of jewelry are usually given to celebrate major milestones like marriage or the birth of a child. I have some 24kt gold chains, bracelets, and pendants that were gifted to me as a baby, and when I got married my mother passed on her dragon & phoenix bracelets to me. They look similar to this and come in a set of two. No one really wears them outside their wedding day.
dragonphoenix.jpg

I'll probably give them to my niece; not sure I want my own kids. I also gave her a gold pendant of her zodiac animal when she was born.
 
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#90
After my mother died a couple of years ago, I came into a turquoise and silver cuff bracelet. For the life of me I don't remember if I picked it up when I cleaned out her trailer or not. But it is a beautiful, classy looking cuff with a large single stone. I have worn it since I got it. I was admiring it one day and it suddenly dawned on me where I had seen this bracelet before. When I was a kid 10-12 or so, I met a great aunt and uncle for the first time. This aunt had on a turquoise bracelet and ring on her right hand. I did not see her very much through the years but when I did she always wore those pieces. She died when I was in my 40s or 50s. My mother would wear the braclet now and then. So I figure that when she knew she was dying she gave my mother the bracelet and then it came to me. It amazed me that after all these years, that piece of jewelry I was so enchanted with as as a child now rests on my wrist. I am in my late 60s so this bracelet is vintage and still as shiny and the stone is just as bright as it probably was the day my great aunt bought it.
 
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