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Non-negotiables for your jewelry collection

If I view this question another way my core jewelry collection consists of

1. OEC ER
2. Cartier Opal ring
3. Antique dangle earrings
4. Cartier and Rolex watch

Those are my staples if you will. Despite not wearing my watches since 2014 and wearing my opal twice a year if that. These pieces are meaningful so that’s why they’re important to me.

However I stand by the fact no bling is critical to my well being and if I could trade it all for my loved ones good health and happiness I would in a second. They are just things and material things will never be the most important thing to me.
 
missy said:
However I stand by the fact no bling is critical to my well being and if I could trade it all for my loved ones good health and happiness I would in a second.
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This is very much why & how I am fond of jewelry with serious value - it is tradeable & the feeling of beauty and value in its nature gives a good old measure of how & when it is worth trading; I am not as reasonable.
 
RunningwithScissors said:
It is fun to see the different ways people interpret this question. Some see it as meaning what are your core pieces of jewelry (ie your capsule wardrobe.) Others see it as a wish list to slowly collect over a life time. I see it as both.

I don't like to own a lot of possessions, having items hanging around that I don't use often and/or don't absolutely love makes me feel claustrophobic. (I'm more Marie Kondo than Marie Kondo.)

So I keep my jewelry collection to a minimum. I should note that I do wear jewelry pieces everyday, even though most days I work at my home studio. I find putting diamond studs on (or any other piece) makes me take care of myself better (ie wash my hair and face in the morning, put on real pants, not just sweats, etc.). When I maintain good grooming habits, it is easier to maintain morale longterm working from home. Also my job requires me to attend many evening gallery openings, so a little bling is helpful for those as well.

This is the sum total of my jewelry. I've paired it down to these pieces (plus a few on my wish list.) I wear every one regularly:

RINGS:
Diamond Engagement ring. (check)
Wedding band (I have a plain one, on the wish list is a blingy one)

EARRINGS:
Diamond Studs (check, but I want to go larger)
White gold hoops large (check, but want to upgrade to Cartier Love Hoops)
White gold hoops small (check)
White Pearl Studs (check)
White Pearl Studs with diamonds (check)
Black Pearl Studs (wish list)

NECKLACES:
Pendant necklace, pendant containing some type of bling (wish list.)
Plain white gold chain necklace (wish list)
White Pearl necklace (check)
Black Pearl necklace (wish list)
My mom's Cedar of Lebanon gold pendant (This is a family piece. Beirut was my mother's favorite city before the civil war.)

BROOCHES:
I love vintage brooches and wear the one I own to most of my evening events.
The one I have is an Art Deco an amethyst and diamond bar but I would like a couple more. I'd love the Tiffany dragonfly or a VCA cosmos flower one.

BRACELETS:
Plain white gold chunky link (check)
Diamond tennis bracelet or bangle (wish list)

WATCHES:
I'm not really into watches, but if I were to buy one, I'd only want a vintage Patek Philippe. I don't care for Rolexes.
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This. list. is. everything.
 
Regarding possessions and jewelry, I am at the point of wanting to have less, too. I have too many sets of china and crystal, for example. Anything my girls do not claim, I am gradually getting rid of or selling. I am going to take one set of china to the family mountain house because it will go well there. I need to clean out my walk-in attic, too. I've just gotta get the energy to deal with it all!
 
My non-negotiable are:

1. Diamond studs (or any pair of earrings really)
2. Tennis bracelet

I am out of sorts when not wearing earrings and a bracelet. I put them on every morning and they are the last things I take off before going to bed.
 
What a fun thread :) Everything's negotiable for me. I don't get attached to things too much. Nice to have and enjoy but on the other hand, whenever I get rid of something I feel so much lighter...Possessions (for me) can be a real burden on your soul. Can't wait for my niece to grow older and a bit more responsible - she doesn't know it but she already owns quite a few cute diamond necklaces and earrings ;)
 
I guess it's pretty much what I've been wearing every day in quarantine: some type of wedding ring, diamond studs and my Rolex. Everything else is just fun extras.
 
My ER and wedding band are important to me due to their sentimental value. Everything else is just nice to have.
 
Bron357 said:
@RunningwithScissors we are opposites!
I love love love my possessions, they somehow tether me. And I have memories attached to many of my possessions so it’s important to me to cherish the item for the memories it holds. And some pieces have unpleasant memories or harsh lessons attached yet I keep them too.
I am particularly sentimental about inherited pieces, these are of lower value but I would be devastated if I was to lose or have stolen one of these precious pieces.
So jewellery has always been a joy and a privilege to own, love, admire and treasure.
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Its interesting how people are all different - what makes us feel warm and fuzzy or downright unsettled.

I would definitely keep any family pieces of value given to me. But my mom and grandmother were not into jewelry. My mom doesn't own a single diamond, she doesn't even have an engagement ring or eternity band. My parents do collect lovely art and antiques so if I outlive them, there are many sentimental items I will treasure. Unfortunately, not much jewelry.

So you are fortunate to be able to wear your family's heirloom bling! Enjoy them!

Often when I watch Antiques Roadshow I comment to my husband how I wish my family had family jewels to pass down! I can only imagine how amazing it would feel to wear grandma's emerald Cartier earrings, etc!
 
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The only items I wear everyday are rings and earrings!

Rings
  1. WG 2 carat diamond solitaire e-ring and matching plain band (in process)
  2. 2+ carat blue sapphire RHR (stone purchased, setting TBD)
  3. 2+ carat ruby or red spinel RHR (wish list)
  4. Plain YG / WG stacking bands for other fingers (have)
  5. Chalcedony or Chrysoprase middle/index finger ring (wish list)
  6. Ouroboros or engraved snake band (wish list, have a silver one to tide me over)
  7. Vine / leaf motif gold band
Earrings
  1. TCW 1+ diamond WG bezel studs (wish list, I have a 0.42 TCW pair currently)
  2. Small, solid gold, hinged sleeper hoops - 1 pair WG, 1 pair YG (WG in process)
  3. Chalcedony or Chrysoprase dangle earrings (wish list)
 
Simple I have DSS with my studs
my sister inherited my moms stud 3.27 VVS! H color
so I feel this need to have larger studs
So selfish but
My current studs are 2.41. I want 3.00-3.25 tcw
 
I'm here because I like jewelry, not because I can afford it.
I have:
0.50 carat engagement ring (don't remember exact weight)
vintage wedding ring
modern titanium wedding ring
0.66 ctw diamond studs

Everything else I own is silver, cultured, costume or similar. I don't have non-negotiables for jewelry. I'd quite like larger stud earrings, I had some but sold them when we bought a flat. I'd like to keep my current 4 pieces, especially my vintage wedding ring and diamond studs, but I'm not overly bothered. They're just things.
 
RunningwithScissors said:
I don't like to own a lot of possessions, having items hanging around that I don't use often and/or don't absolutely love makes me feel claustrophobic.

...

I should note that I do wear jewelry pieces everyday, even though most days I work at my home studio.
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The first holds for me ever more strongly - there was never much around & the count is going down; the second statement should hold more - I feel the same about wearing jewelry & working from home makes formality less automatic than it were.

The list would be of different items (gold is tradition), but the categories feel very right - there are proper staples & art (brooches) & a couple of watches might also feel like art (Cartier's smallest!) & their mechanics certainly does, but I am fond of the little luxury of not needing to keep track of time much these days.

ramble
 
I’m binge watching a show called Til Debt Do Us Part and the financial guru host said something that stuck with me: “You have to learn that in life some things don’t matter at all, like what kind of car you drive.” Any consumer good fits that bill. Jewelry just doesn’t matter at all. Nothing wrong with having and enjoying it, but it all goes on the auction block if needed. Even the wedding ring.

The pandemic has sort of bummed out my desire for things. It does not help that I haven’t worn jewelry at all for the last three months.
 
I disagree that "jewelry doesn't matter at all."

Jewelry is a form of art. Art matters because it adds interest, beauty and joy to life. Beauty and joy help buffer the inevitable pain that comes with living. Art helps make life worth living.

If we were to remove all the artful flourishes from life, and just have everything we use, wear and eat stripped down to the bare bones necessities that keep us alive, life would look like this:

Everyone would wear grey pajamas for clothes.

We'd live in a grey cinderblock apartment building with no decoration of any kind inside or out.

We'd eat food with no seasoning. Forget takeout or restaurants. Forget dessert or candy. Forget wine or alcoholic beverages.

Forget music of any kind.

Forget reading for pleasure. Or going to the movies.

I don't want to live in that world. I want a world full of color, full of beautiful things, full of robust flavors and novels that make me stay up past my bedtime.

Yes, jewelry matters, because art matters. It is the counterweight to pain and monotony.
 
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RunningwithScissors said:
I disagree that "jewelry doesn't matter at all."

Jewelry is a form of art. Art matters because it adds interest, beauty and joy to life. Beauty and joy help buffer the inevitable pain that comes with living. Art helps make life worth living.

If we were to remove all the artful flourishes from life, and just have everything we use, wear and eat stripped down to the bare bones necessities that keep us alive, life would look like this:

Everyone would wear grey pajamas for clothes.

We'd live in a grey cinderblock apartment building with no decoration of any kind inside or out.

We'd eat food with no seasoning. Forget takeout or restaurants. Forget dessert or candy. Forget wine or alcoholic beverages.

Forget music of any kind.

Forget reading for pleasure. Or going to the movies.

I don't want to live in that world. I want a world full of color, full of beautiful things, full of robust flavors and novels that make me stay up past my bedtime.

Yes, jewelry matters, because art matters. It is the counterweight to pain and monotony.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more with these sentiments.

We shouldn't feel any sense or guilt, distaste or remorse for being drawn to "beauty". We are not strictly utilitarian beings. In fact, I believe our emotional intelligence and our interest in such things at all, is what distinguishes us from animals. Well - that, and our capacity for language and complex social skills. But I will save that debate. Heh.

That isn't to say that the inherent value of an object of beauty is above or equal to a life - but I don't think I even want to equate the two.

There is a difference between merely surviving, and flourishing. Art helps us flourish. Prehistoric men both painted (to flourish) and hunted (to survive) wild horses running around on the plains. Let's not dismiss why he did both.
 
I didn’t mean to suggest anyone feel guilt, distaste or remorse. Sorry if it came across that way. But in the context of most of the world not having jewelry while still having colorful, rich lives, I still think it’s fair to say it doesn’t matter. No one’s life is any less because they can’t obtain jewelry. And I think it’s quite a leap to go from there to “just live in a grey box and eat gruel then.”
 
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Every day, I wear at least 2.18 ctw diamond studs (Midst upgrade right now to 4.22 ctw, could totally use helping to make sure I chose great stones, have pending upgrade) and my 5.08 ct engagement solitaire.

4 ct earring upgrade thread here:

Need your help to pick ~3.5 ctw stud earrings

Hi Everyone, I am wanting to upgrade 2.18 ctw studs to larger pair with Blue Nile. Priced HP stones CBI and they are just too much for budget. And I have trade up policy with Blue Nile and earrings as well as other stones I can trade in. Initial consideration was 3.01 pair but I think a little...
www.pricescope.com

If I go out, I add my Rolex with diamonds, 15 ct diamond bracelet, 4.8 ct eternity band (but taking stones out and re making at some point as they aren’t super ideal but are triple excellent; resetting also since very tiny spaces on design and some diamonds now are rubbing and chipping!), 0.80 pendant (upgrading toward 4 ct earrings).

Midst making 3 ct eternity band with HPD.

Will end up after upgrades with:
3 ct eternity diamond
15 ct Diamond tennis
4.22 ctw diamond studs
Rolex with diamonds
5.08 ct E ring
And another large eternity band sometime.
Don’t love wearing necklaces but will get another one for when I go out.
 
RunningwithScissors said:
I disagree that "jewelry doesn't matter at all."

Jewelry is a form of art. Art matters because it adds interest, beauty and joy to life. Beauty and joy help buffer the inevitable pain that comes with living. Art helps make life worth living.

If we were to remove all the artful flourishes from life, and just have everything we use, wear and eat stripped down to the bare bones necessities that keep us alive, life would look like this:

Everyone would wear grey pajamas for clothes.

We'd live in a grey cinderblock apartment building with no decoration of any kind inside or out.

We'd eat food with no seasoning. Forget takeout or restaurants. Forget dessert or candy. Forget wine or alcoholic beverages.

Forget music of any kind.

Forget reading for pleasure. Or going to the movies.

I don't want to live in that world. I want a world full of color, full of beautiful things, full of robust flavors and novels that make me stay up past my bedtime.

Yes, jewelry matters, because art matters. It is the counterweight to pain and monotony.
Click to expand...

Sounds like Wellington pre 1995 :mrgreen2:
 
My bare minimum is large engagement ring (band not necessary, I don’t always wear my eternity bands), stud diamond earrings, Rolex and maybe a VCA Alhambra bracelet as they at comfy and light. :)
 
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