Ad- Written in partnership with Carus.
When I was young one of my favourite activities was going through my Mum’s and Nanna’s jewellery boxes. There was something so exciting about seeing what treasures they had inside and hearing the story behind each piece. I loved hearing about then when’s and where’s of how each ring or necklace arrived in their jewellery box, I found their history so fascinating, this time before I was in the world, and I wanted to know all about it! Some of the pieces I have were passed down by my mum and grandparents.
I’ve always had a fascination with antique jewellery, just like when I was going through my Mum’s jewellery box as a child I can’t help but wonder what the piece’s story is. Who wore it? What was the reason behind it potentially being a gift, or why did they choose it? I know I’m not likely to ever learn the real story, but guessing and being able to create my own stories is part of the fun. I’ve been scrolling through Carus Jewellery’s website over the past few weeks & my imagination has been running wild.
Now I’m older, I have my own daughter and Athena has the exact same fascination with my jewellery box that I did when I was young. She picks out each piece in turn and asks me when, where and why I got it. Watching her do what I did as a child, and being able to show her the pieces that I was given by my Mum makes me think of the day that I might share my collection with her. I love antique jewellery because I know it will last a lifetime, so that one day my own daughter can treasure it in the same way that I do now. Giving jewelery to your daughter is a lovely way to commemorate a birthday or other special occasion, giving something special that can be kept forever.
One of the reasons I love antique jewellery is because it’s so unusual from what you can find in the shops today. When I think of a family heirloom I imagine it being in our family for generations, but no one said you can’t add your own heirloom to the family. It starts off as a beautiful, unique piece of jewellery but the sentiment that attaches to it over time comes from sharing the story with family members.
When choosing pieces of jewellery for myself I like to go for classic pieces that have an air of being timeless, like the charm bracelet above. I like to imagine that the piece will be treasured just as much in 50 years time as it is now. I find that antique jewellery is often much more elaborate than modern pieces so they’re often more of a special occasion piece than for everyday wear, but I love that every time I look at it I will find something new in the intricate pattern and remember every special occasion that I’ve worn this unique piece for. I imagine Athena will one day wear it to her special events so I always keep her in mind when choosing a piece.
Growing up admiring the intricacies of every piece in my own mum’s jewellery collection, I love that Athena does the same for my collection. As she gets older the antique jewellery I chose for myself will become something that she also treasures, and when she looks at it she will remember the time she first saw it in my jewellery box and maybe share that story with her own children. Sentimental items always start their life as just “things” – the meaning we give them comes from the stories we’re told and the memories we create. It’s these memories that are the reason why jewellery should always be kept in the family, because it’s these stories that feel like fairytales when you’re young that keep the magic alive. My grandmas gold ring was given to her by her mum, so when Athena eventually inherits it that will be the 5th generation to own it in the same family… amazing!