Jewelry has always had a personal meaning for me. The other day I sat down and wondered where this started (Because I'm strange like that
).
The earliest memories I can come up with were from my grandmothers.
1) When I was about 6 or so, my grandma had bought me a cheapo bluebird pin with a crystal in the center. I loved that thing but I didn't get a chance to get it because my mother took it away for some imagined infraction. By the time I got it back it had lost its personal meaning and I had associated unfairness at being punished with it.
2) The same grandma had jewelry boxes, boxes, PLURAL, of costume jewelry. I used to just go through her jewelry box for hours, playing with it and dressing up. Many many years later when my grandmother went into the nursing home, it was this costume jewelry that was snatched up at the estate sale. I kept a couple of pieces and replaced the chipped quartz stone in one of her rings with blue topaz to make a fab cocktail ring. That's my "grandma's jewelry box ring."
3) My other grandmother used to work in a gift shop at the jewelry counter. She would take me to purchase her jewelry for the shop and I loved having the "special access" to wholesale jewelry selection.
Anyway, what are your earliest and most emotional jewelry memories?

The earliest memories I can come up with were from my grandmothers.
1) When I was about 6 or so, my grandma had bought me a cheapo bluebird pin with a crystal in the center. I loved that thing but I didn't get a chance to get it because my mother took it away for some imagined infraction. By the time I got it back it had lost its personal meaning and I had associated unfairness at being punished with it.
2) The same grandma had jewelry boxes, boxes, PLURAL, of costume jewelry. I used to just go through her jewelry box for hours, playing with it and dressing up. Many many years later when my grandmother went into the nursing home, it was this costume jewelry that was snatched up at the estate sale. I kept a couple of pieces and replaced the chipped quartz stone in one of her rings with blue topaz to make a fab cocktail ring. That's my "grandma's jewelry box ring."
3) My other grandmother used to work in a gift shop at the jewelry counter. She would take me to purchase her jewelry for the shop and I loved having the "special access" to wholesale jewelry selection.
Anyway, what are your earliest and most emotional jewelry memories?