jewelry Regrets

[A1aGypsy]

I wish I hadn’t been so lazy and listened to the voice in the back of my head that told me to put my favourite pieces away.

The next day our house was burglarized and they took all my cheaper (but beloved) everyday stuff that I had collected for decades and also some more expensive pieces that were in heavy rotation.

I’m still gutted three years later.

 

[Peridot_Paradise]

. Same. And I have soooo much white gold/platinum.

Oh sorry to hear that. I sold most of mine to Fashionphile. They’re very selective w their brands so I have some Blue Nile white gold necklaces and earrings that I was thinking of gifting to relatives

 

[422stewart]

during my college years, I didn’t really have the funds for any fine jewelry - only had my 2 Trinity Cords (tri gold & white gold/ ceramic).

now flash forward 2-3 years today out of college, I definitely have had the ability to buy more pieces such a YG Wedding Love ring, a WG Wedding Love ring, a thin WG JUC ring, and a small WG Clash ring. I also added the shorter WG/ RG/ YG Cartier chain (pic attached).

I’m pretty happy with my collection as my right wrist still has the Cords, left wrist would have watch (kind of hesitant to wear it out in NYC these days), and I mainly cycle through my rings especially as the weather changes and finger sizes change. I also pretty much never remove my tri-gold chain.

I recently offloaded my pre-loved WG Tank Française as it only fit my left middle finger which is now occupied by my Clash ring on Rebag and was able to get a great deal on a black Micro Nightingale.

Now, I’m left with my two pre-loved Chanel medium Ultra Ring in the WG/ Black Ceramic & WG/ White Ceramic that only fit in my right ring finger. I do really still like them and never take them out these days.

I’ve contemplated reselling them, though at a loss, not to mention that at that width, Chanel’s current ultra rings range at $2600 each. Currently, my mom is enjoying one of them so that’s good and was thinking of loaning/ gifting her the other as well.

I really do not see myself wearing them anymore unless I’m travelling to Europe and want to be more lowkey.

Any thoughts on what to do on “leftover” jewelry? To me, it is not about the monetary value I could or could not get back but hate to see them in their boxes sitting in NG drawer of nightstand.

PS: I also went through a phase of buying jewelry from Mejuri, Etsy, and Aurate and have too much non-fine jewelry like necklaces/ chains.

 

[Evia]

during my college years, I didn’t really have the funds for any fine jewelry - only had my 2 Trinity Cords (tri gold & white gold/ ceramic).

now flash forward 2-3 years today out of college, I definitely have had the ability to buy more pieces such a YG Wedding Love ring, a WG Wedding Love ring, a thin WG JUC ring, and a small WG Clash ring. I also added the shorter WG/ RG/ YG Cartier chain (pic attached).

I’m pretty happy with my collection as my right wrist still has the Cords, left wrist would have watch (kind of hesitant to wear it out in NYC these days), and I mainly cycle through my rings especially as the weather changes and finger sizes change. I also pretty much never remove my tri-gold chain.

I recently offloaded my pre-loved WG Tank Française as it only fit my left middle finger which is now occupied by my Clash ring on Rebag and was able to get a great deal on a black Micro Nightingale.

Now, I’m left with my two pre-loved Chanel medium Ultra Ring in the WG/ Black Ceramic & WG/ White Ceramic that only fit in my right ring finger. I do really still like them and never take them out these days.

I’ve contemplated reselling them, though at a loss, not to mention that at that width, Chanel’s current ultra rings range at $2600 each. Currently, my mom is enjoying one of them so that’s good and was thinking of loaning/ gifting her the other as well.

I really do not see myself wearing them anymore unless I’m travelling to Europe and want to be more lowkey.

Any thoughts on what to do on “leftover” jewelry? To me, it is not about the monetary value I could or could not get back but hate to see them in their boxes sitting in NG drawer of nightstand.

PS: I also went through a phase of buying jewelry from Mejuri, Etsy, and Aurate and have too much non-fine jewelry like necklaces/ chains.

I had some things I was no longer wearing and some inherited jewellery I knew I’d never wear. I donated most of it and sold some pieces for their gold weight. I prefer not to have the clutter and haven’t regretted it.

 

[422stewart]

I had some things I was no longer wearing and some inherited jewellery I knew I’d never wear. I donated most of it and sold some pieces for their gold weight. I prefer not to have the clutter and haven’t regretted it.

Definitely. I think all my chains from Mejuri/ Aurate are all in a small dust bag and are probably in the worst knots ever from my move being at the bottom of my travel backpack.

My friends think I should just keep them cause they definitely have no resale value and I can use them on occasions for costume parties/ Halloween haha.

But I do feel a bit stupid as with how much I spent on one type of chain each month as a treat given they were ~$100 each (Figaro, cable, box etc) and on silly trends like the half pearl/ half chain necklaces/ bracelets on Etsy, I could have very easily funded one of my smaller Cartier ring purchases.

Alas, any ideas for Halloween costumes that require many WG chains as the statement? hahaha

 

[JulieKat]

We were robbed and I lost a custom emerald ring that my husband had given me. He gave me a larger emerald and we took it back to the original jeweller. They said based on the size they had to re-design the ring and I was never happy with it. I think the person they had making it just wasn't as talented as certain design features that were small weren't incorporated into the new ring, which I rarely wear.

 

[KaththeeT]

My jewelry regrets have to do with the people, the jewelers.

The woman who designed my engagement ring who had tiny hands and decided the stone size (we had a colored diamond request which was very hard to fill at the time) should be no bigger than a carat, when I have giant hands and needed double that. But again, couldn't go anywhere else for the setting.

The jealous jeweler who would not sell me a larger HoF diamond when I was flush with cash, but loved the setting that only their store made.

The [BLEEP] jeweler who sold that unfortunate smaller HoF diamond years later and skimmed $1000 off the check he wrote to me, which he gave me the day he was closing his shop, so I had little recourse.

It's the people. The weird, jealous, unethical jewelers that I have had the misfortune to cross paths with.

Those interactions and memories are embedded into the pieces, and that is a shame.

My biggest regret is about a jeweler and my favorite vintage ring. My coral and diamond bomb ring (probably from the 40s) is a bear to size and I wanted it a size up and this jeweler bragged that he could do it and people in the shop backed him up and said he could do anything. I had heard really good things about him from another jeweler as well. I let him have that ring and when I got it back it fit better but it looked like he put in in a food processor for a few seconds. The little scallops at the foot of the stone were all chipped up and worse still there was a larger chip on the side of one of the coral pieces. It was covered in these weird black spots that I later found out are a kind of jewelers glue that he used and then failed to wait till it cured before he attempted to polish the ring. At first they handed me the ring like it was fine and asked me to pay to have it sized. Then they pretended to only see the bigger chip. So when his wife came after I stood there for over an hour and offered to "repair" it I had lost faith in them. I should have let her have it because I have never worn it. But I didn't trust them anymore. To fix it I need a new piece of coral which is impossible to find in the size I need. I am heartbroken over it. I can barely stand to look at it so I know what you mean that those horrible people are "embedded into the pieces." I look at that ring and I don't think of my wonderful husband who gave it to me. I think of that horrible jeweler and how rude he was to me after he broke my ring.

 

[KaththeeT]

Definitely. I think all my chains from Mejuri/ Aurate are all in a small dust bag and are probably in the worst knots ever from my move being at the bottom of my travel backpack.

My friends think I should just keep them cause they definitely have no resale value and I can use them on occasions for costume parties/ Halloween haha.

But I do feel a bit stupid as with how much I spent on one type of chain each month as a treat given they were ~$100 each (Figaro, cable, box etc) and on silly trends like the half pearl/ half chain necklaces/ bracelets on Etsy, I could have very easily funded one of my smaller Cartier ring purchases.

Alas, any ideas for Halloween costumes that require many WG chains as the statement? hahaha

I have an inexpensive half chain half pearl necklace too. I paid almost nothing for it so I don't feel regret. I really bought it to see if I could rig up something similar with existing pieces. Before you buy ANYTHING on Etsy it is a good idea to check Aliexpress for the same pieces. My own dear daughter bought a dress from an Etsy seller for my granddaughter to wear as a flower girl and I saw it for a fraction of the price on Aliexpress. It is always a good idea to check. Half the new crap on Etsy and eBay is from Aliexpress.

 

[KaththeeT]

. Same. And I have soooo much white gold/platinum.

I love them both. For one thing white metal looks so pretty with diamonds. Then again yellow gold looks so pretty with emeralds. I love chains, larger pendants, as well as anything without stones in yellow gold as well. Rose gold looks pretty with everything, but I only enjoy it in moderation. Besides my diamond jewelry everything else is yellow or rose gold. I love all three colors equally though. It would be like asking which is my favorite child. lol

I agree yellow gold is more glamorous though. I would say white metal is more elegant and refined especially paired with diamonds. Rose gold is more exciting and fun. I remember some Lauren Bacall quote in a Bvlgari advertisement that went something like this,
"When he asks you, "Do you prefer diamonds, emeralds, rubies, or sapphires?"
Say 'yes."

I feel the same way about yellow, rose and white metal. Yes.
If it doesn't bring you joy sell it and buy something else. If I ever get my bombe ring repaired (biggest regret) I am going to sell it.

 

[dsrm]

All the David yurhman jewelry I bought! And some Chanel custom jewelry

 

[880]

I have a lot that I don’t wear. Most of it came to me from family. Eventually I will take stuff to my jeweler to be remade into something else. But oftentimes I dont wear the reworked pieces either.

some pieces I will give to cousins or their children. Some to my best friends daughter.

some just sits there.

 

[allanrvj]

I only have two jewelry regrets because I don't have much. One is the Hermès Collier de Chien ring in leather and gold I got when I visited Amsterdam and met up with a tPFer. It looked so cute but then it catches whenever I use the pockets of my pants. So I got irritated and used it as a scarf ring one day. And then I lost it because I took my scarf off and it most probably fell and I forgot that I was using it as a scarf ring.

My second regret is just about planning. I regret that I didn't get into VCA sooner when I was visiting Paris more often. Oh well.

 

[KaththeeT]

I wish I hadn’t been so lazy and listened to the voice in the back of my head that told me to put my favourite pieces away.

The next day our house was burglarized and they took all my cheaper (but beloved) everyday stuff that I had collected for decades and also some more expensive pieces that were in heavy rotation.

I’m still gutted three years later.

I hate a thief and I am so sorry that happened to you.

 

[A1aGypsy]

I hate a thief and I am so sorry that happened to you.

Thank you. Not the worst thing that can happen In life, I know.

 

[EvaH]

My only regrets are the items I lost. A beautiful ruby ring from my grandmother, a beautiful platinum "knot" ring from a childhood friend. I learned to never ever ever bring any jewellery in public swimming pools! (Those happened when I was 15... Still remember those pieces more than 15 years later )