Why does jewelry (and diamonds and gems) make you happy?

[Rubies-R-Me]

Oh it was heaven!!

 

[WinkHPD]

For me, it started when I was fairly young. I would ride my bike all over town and one of my favorite stops was Ballou Latimer Drug Store. They had counter top displays of costume jewelry, foil back glass with rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets ranging from a buck or two to eight to ten dollars for the really "nice" ones.

I would save up my allowance and buy something for my mom for every birthday, anniversary, Christmas or other occasion that I could save up the money for. It just made me feel special to give my mom something so beautiful.

When I was stationed at the American Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, I fell in love all over again with sparkly gems, this time the real deal rather than foil backs. I started buying and selling gems as a hobby, and eventually fell in love with Resa, my American born wife who came to work at the Embassy about a year and a half after I did.

I asked her to marry me about two weeks after we started dating, she was petrified of the very idea. It took me another two months to convince her I was serious. Once she said yes, I found out it gave me just as much joy and pleasure to give her wonderful gems and jewelry as it did for me when I was just a youngster in Boise, Idaho. By then, I had actually completely forgotten about the sparkly things I had given my mother. It was not until my daughter was playing with a glass box full of sparkly things at mom's house that I asked my mom where she had gotten all of the costume jewelry that Cissy loved playing with.

Mom then reminded me of how I was always buying her things like that as a boy. "I think you were born part magpie," she said. Then the memories flooded back in.

So, for me, I enjoy giving diamonds and gems to my loved ones. I also feel very special when I wear nice jewelry, but to be very honest, for me, it is always the giving that makes me the happiest.

Wink

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Mom then reminded me of how I was always buying her things like that as a boy. "I think you were born part magpie," she said. Then the memories flooded back in.
Wink

Sorry for hijack, but how did your Mum know about magpie's? They are only here downunder!

 

[WinkHPD]

LOL, When I was a youngster there was actually a bounty on magpies in Idaho. Nickel a bird. Then someone figured out they were a close relative to a bird in Mexico and there was some kind of dustup about the bounty and it was ceased.

Didn't matter to me though, as by the time I was old enough to hunt, shotgun shells cost nearly double the price of the bounty.

They are a very beautiful bird up close with iridescent feathers. Lots of hunters do not like them as they eat the eggs and chicks of game birds. I know that is nature's way, so I don't hold it against them and enjoy their beauty.

I took a quick look in google and I see that your magpies seem to have white beaks, where the ones I am accustomed to are actually called black billed magpies.

Wink

 

[luv2sparkle]

I also had a Nana (actually she was my aunt, but that is what I called her) who let me wear her 2 carat solitaire when I was a child. I loved the beauty of the stone and the simplicity of it. She had one other niece who inherited her rings but I inherited a pair of 14k yellow gold bow earrings. They were screw backs and I had them converted to pierced. I was terribly disappointed that I didn't get to have her rings, but I knew about it before she passed. The other niece lived far away and had only seen her a couple times in the 30+ years I had with her, but they were promised to her somehow. I lived with her till I was 11 and spent much time caring for her through her many illnesses. Her rings were so much a part of who she was to me. When I look at my own rings now, I often think of her, and she was really the reason that I wanted them. The love she had for me carried me through my life. It was a gift to have someone in your life who loves you unconditionally. She was that for me.
That was my earliest memory of loving shiny things, but it has certainly grown since then. They do bring me joy. My husband has gifted me with many lovely things and I love that. It means so much to me when he surprises me. He would do it much more often if I didn't stop him. I only stop him because he would never buy anything for himself.

 

[Lucy-In-The-Sky]

I'm another one who grew up playing in my grandmother's jewelry box, playing dress up with all of her baubles. (Both my grandmothers, actually, plus, my 3 great-aunts and one aunt who was a former beauty queen. She used to let me wear her tiara around the house; I loved that!)

My passion is for antique jewelry and stones although I do have a few modern/contemporary pieces. For me, I really treasure the artisanal aspect of handmade jewelry with handout stones. I love the occasional wonkiness and irregularities in these pieces, and I really love the hunt for specific types of items.

I also love wondering about where my jewelry has been before it belonged to me.. who owned/wore it? Where did they wear it?

I also get a ridiculous amount of pleasure out of simply admiring the faceting on my engagement ring and playing with it in different types of light.

 

[bling_dream19]

Here's the pic. It's kind of cloudy, but at least you can see it on.

Absolutely beautiful on you!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Resurrecting rather an old thread, but I can’t resist answering the question.

Short answer, I suppose, is that it just does. My mom loves bling and has a real eye for design and I remember playing dress up with her things even as a small child. She amassed a wonderful collection as I was growing up and every time I borrow something of hers it makes me happy because (a) it’s beautiful but also (b) it’s tied to memories of playing with her things as she got ready, listening to the stories of how and when she collected them.

I too like to put designs together, though I can’t draw. But I think it gives me an opportunity to express my creativity. I’m forever designing jewelry even if I have no intention of actually commissioning it, it’s an outlet for me.

Also - I don’t need to own the jewelry to make me happy. Some pieces of my mom’s make me happy to look at, even though they are hers. Or designing jewelry for friends - my best friend wants me to design her wedding jewelry - I know I’ll never own those pieces, but the joy of designing and seeing those pieces come to life and on a real person’s neck or ear or hand - that’s the real joy for me.

 

[Drm1grl]

Thank you AllAboardTheBlingTrain for resurrecting this thread. It is like the universe answered a question to me through you. I had forgotten that I had asked this question in 2019. Just a few moments before I saw this - I posted another similar question related to why people love diamonds. I am considering (paid for it yesterday but have a 30 day return window) a beautiful diamond as a celebration of a work accomplishment. I was feeling kind of guilty about having another beautiful piece - but now, after re-reading this thread - instead of feeling sheepish, it feels wholly appropriate. My Nana was a career woman before the term existed. To celebrate my career - two generations later - I bought my Nana's birthstone (diamond) on her birthday (yesterday). Nana would approve. . Thank you again.[/QUOTE]

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Thank you AllAboardTheBlingTrain for resurrecting this thread. It is like the universe answered a question to me through you. I had forgotten that I had asked this question in 2019. Just a few moments before I saw this - I posted another similar question related to why people love diamonds. I am considering (paid for it yesterday but have a 30 day return window) a beautiful diamond as a celebration of a work accomplishment. I was feeling kind of guilty about having another beautiful piece - but now, after re-reading this thread - instead of feeling sheepish, it feels wholly appropriate. My Nana was a career woman before the term existed. To celebrate my career - two generations later - I bought my Nana's birthstone (diamond) on her birthday (yesterday). Nana would approve. . Thank you again.

[/QUOTE]

I’m glad you feel better about buying yourself jewelry. Life is short - if the money you spent on it is part of your disposable income, and it brings you joy, why not? I like to tie my jewelry purchases to significant occasions in my life as well, so I doubly approve of buying something to celebrate your work accomplishment (congratulations btw) and your nana!

 

[xjsbellamias13]

Simply put, I love jewelry because it makes me feel good, makes me smile to look at it, it’s an escape, and it’s completely and utterly beautiful!

 

[Piper70]

I responded to the other thread before I saw this one. My Grandmom had 10 kids so if she had any jewelry, I don’t know about it. I didn’t grow up having jewelry but I am so looking forward to having a granddaughter play in my jewelry box.

 

[Lovecarats]

Jewelry makes me happy. I remember getting a ring set with my birthstone (yellow topaz) from my parents for my birthday when I was a young teenager and I was simply over-the-moon, Now, decades later, if you want to GUARANTEE to make me happy with a gift, by me jewelry. It’s always so nice to open up my jewelry cabinet and pick out something pretty to compliment my outfit. Even on lazy days I’ll put on earrings or a nice necklace to compliment my outfit.

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

Absolutely beautiful on you!

Thank you @bling_dream19!

 

[RayRay]

This thread makes me happy! My love for jewelry, mostly rings, Started when I researched my E-ring. I love having some thing sparkly to look at while I’m working and the rings remind me that working hard is worth it for my family and a few baubles along the way