One Christmas, my mother was surprised to find that after all the packages had been given out to her nieces and nephews, two more gifts were waiting under the tree, both with her name on them.
Confused, she started cautiously tearing at the seams of the wrapping paper. Since the little ones now outnumbered the adults, the elders in the family had agreed not to exchange gifts. Well, my mother’s middle son doesn’t like to follow the rules, especially when given the opportunity to craft a good moment.
She cried when she saw the dark brown pearl necklace and bracelet set I bought for her through some jewelry industry contacts. The hug she gave me was worth attempting to pay back everything she’d given me in my life, even though I still had a long way to go. My father even took her out on the town so she could show them off!
The reason I’m telling you all of this is because during last night’s #socialjewels Twitter discussion, I posed the question: Do you think giving a piece of jewelry as a gift still has the same impact in today’s world as it did in the past?
The answers were overwhelming in the affirmative. Peggy Jo Donahue may have summed it up best:
@danielfford A6 #socialjewels – YES – jewelry embodies memory– unbelievable power to evoke emotion
— Peggy Jo Donahue (@peggyjodonahue) April 4, 2012
This Saturday, I’ll have a longer write up on the other issues the group discussed, but I couldn’t resist sharing everyone’s most memorable piece of jewelry.
@danielfford A7#socialjewels My Birthstone ring given to me when I was 10, oh so long ago, still means a lot to me
— Julia Champagne (@jubaby62) April 4, 2012
@danielfford A7: My engagement ring. Mom’s RW watch, which was a gift from Dad. #socialjewels
— Veronica Wei Sopher(@Shih_Wei) April 4, 2012
@danielfford Q7: A Cartier Pen handed down from Dad to me. gift to him from my Grandfather. Solid Gold with Cabochon Sapphire #SocialJewels
— Daniel Gordon (@DanGordon) April 4, 2012
@danielfford A.7 #socialjewels: my engagement ring, natch … also pearls I bought myself when I became JCK EIC ;}
— Peggy Jo Donahue (@peggyjodonahue) April 4, 2012
@danielfford Anything from my parents. Mom’s engagement diamond (now a pendant), a diamond bracelet. Now I buy them jewelry! #socialjewels
— Melissa Bernardo (@mrbplus) April 4, 2012
@danielfford A7 my engagement ring, tho I always find myself wishing I had some sort of heirloom piece from generations past…#socialjewels
— Brittany Siminitz (@JCKmarketplace) April 4, 2012
@danielfford I once won a Tahitian pearl and 18k gold ring by #Gumuchian in a press drawing and my finger looks naked w/o it. #socialjewels
— Victoria Gomelsky (@vika22) April 4, 2012
What’s your favorite jewelry-related memory?
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