Why do you love jewelry?

(question asked because I think I want to start buying it for someone else, not because I want to get all gussied up)

Cufflinks with the rose-en-soleil emblem of the house of York.

i love jewelry because it's really easy on the eyes, and because it's so small but makes a big difference.

i also LOVE shiny things

also jewelry as love tokens is always really sweet. i have a necklace from my bf that i always clutch when i wear it. i'm one of those people.

women who were jewelery are fun. not that women who don't aren't, but there's something about a lady adorned.

It's the transformation that's appealing, eh?

somethin! i find it interesting, the way women use jewelry and makeup. it's a very personal thing.

(I just thought it was better to go with that joke than the tired pearl necklace one.)

(i was hoping that one wouldn't happen, the pearl)

not really no. sometimes wearing a ring or chain is nice though.

Surmounter, you are full of sage wisdom. I absolutely want to give jewelry as something for her to clutch. I've been giving flowers, but they are unenduring.

Mr. White, your cufflinks sound excellent.

aww bein good to your sweetheart =)

I'd like to think I try.

all my jewelery is either understated or kind of crazy

also i am kind of allergic to nickel and i don't know what which makes my skin go red and break out, so my options are limited to the Good Stuff. or leather and fabrics and stones and i guess plastic. ok there r a lot of options.

a friend gave me these great rhinestone (diamondy) earrings that are like hoops but in the shape of hearts, b/c they didn't suit her but somehow suit me really well. i can only wear them for a few hrs at a time b/c of whatever they're made of but damn they are pretty great

i have a thing for bracelets that are more like cuffs but not masculine/'tough' cuffs

i love cuffs and those name bracelets. i have one in silver. bracelets in general are so awesome, and it doesn't seem like ppl wear them enough

I sell jewellery. Which doesn't necessarily mean I love it, but I do.
I have tons of jewellery. Wedding band, engagement ring (princess cut diamonds in a half eternity band), pavé set diamond band, blue topaz and diamond ring, white gold princess cut diamond ring, gold watch, hoop earrings... That's what I can remember. I have more.

TBH, the whole "Why do you love jewelry?" title was a knock-off of a thread title from last week about shoes. What I'd probably be more interested in is why a specific piece of jewelry might be loved by the person wearing it.

Especially helpful would be pictures of favorite items. I have no sense of taste when it comes to this stuff.

I have. hah

you are totally casing us right
xpost

Ha ha, rrobyn.

i'm not really a jewelry person. everything i have is cheap-o and rarely worn. i recently got some really nice alexis bittar bangle bracelets for my birthday though, which i'm wearing now.

i REALLY hate rings. they just feel wrong on my hands. i would probably wear a simple one but i feel like a diamond ring would get snagged on everything. also BLOOD DIAMONDS etc etc your ring is made of african babies!

i like hopi silver jewelry

Boy, kingkong, buying jewelry is hard enough for people who I know and whose tastes I know really well, let alone those I don't. Wish I could help.

I hade a Hopi ring as a child.

i love it but i can't afford the good stuff and the cheap stuff doesn't do it for me so much anymore. but: gold, gold and more gold is what i like.

i love gold

Gold does not suit me, alas.

Don't buy someone a ten string necklace made of red rocks that goes down to their bellybutton unless she is a post-menopausal anthropologist, is my main advice.

lol

i cannot wait

now i know what to do my phd in!

i hate long skirts though, so they might kick me out

Get to pair it with gypsy skirts and birks and rings made of amber w/insects and trilobyte bracelets and giant turquoise earrings.

bahahaha xpost

and crazy eyes

and BIG hair

Wither Liza Minelli hair or waist-length, never died hair in braids pulled into buns.

And hell of coral blush.

i will never understand wearing nick-nacks in a string as jewellery

coral blush hahahaha

you don't understand it now but wait a few decades...

you are totally casing us right

Heh. I realized what I just said after posting it. I'm not as interested in someone's $6,000 engagement ring or whatever. But I'm sure that people have at least some more casual baubles that they would want to show off.

jewelry is a really awesome, personal gift to give your lady, just make sure it's something she LIKES. this is key. i have disliked all the jewelry i've ever been given: my ex, after we'd been together 2yrs, gave me a slender gold band with three tiny diamonds in it. i HATE gold, and i HATE tiny jewelry. he knew this, because i used to wear a lot of jewelry - all chunky stuff - and i had explicitly told him several times i HATE gold and also diamonds. but he was more interested in buying something expensive than buying me something i would actually like.

you need to case out her jewelry box, and get an idea of what she likes: tiny, dainty, metal stuff, or chunky, plastic/wood stuff? colourful or simple? contemporary or antique?

The only times I have ever given jewelry I fucked it up precisely like that. : )

a ring is a nice idea, because it can be worn all the time and she can put it on a chain if she prefers.

I mean, I chose a really tasteful overpriced ring from the store in the mall. But it was an overpriced ring from a store in a mall, which wasn't exactly to her liking (an ex, now). You're right, it's worth scoping out her personal collection to get a sense of taste. xp

But I'm still facinated by what kind of stuff people would think was good looking.

i like vintage-y stuff like this, something a little kooky:

http://image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.26177316.jpg

whoa sorry :/

Oh, that's very, very cool, Rubyredd. Is it held up by the bird? Are those relatives?

i also love chunky rings made out of titanium or tungsten:

http://www.justtitanium.com/popup_image.php?pID=1216

xpost it's a brooch. i found this artist on etsy.com who handmakes all this cool vintage stuff using bits and pieces she finds in thrift stores. i think it's just an old photo she found.

oh fuck it:

http://www.justtitanium.com/popup_image.php?pID=1216

here's a link to her shop, kingkong:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=86028

most of her stuff is very reasonably priced ($20-25 for a lot of the jewelry)

See - I didn't even know that tungsten jewelry was a thing! I thought that stuff was just for light-bulbs.

xp

titanium is fucking cool - very affordable and super hard. but you gotta make sure you get the right size because it can't be resized. and there's something cheesy but cool about giving yr partner a ring that is virtually indestructible.

The only "real" pieces I have are my engagement ring which is a three stone band ring with a pink sapphire as the center stone set in white gold and wedding ring which is a thin white gold band with tiny channel set diamonds.

I love my engagement ring terribly because L put a lot of thought into it. He wanted to get me something unique and knew that I don't like solitaire settings. It's very modern looking and very me and that's exactly why it's so special.

Other than that I have tons of big chunky costume stuff. I agree with RR - look into what she buys for herself and get her something along those lines.

that's really pretty RR. oooh a ring on a chain! i always like that idea

He wanted to get me something unique

A pink sapphire is a very brilliant idea though. Not unique but something really special! (Not being sarcastic)

What I hate (or laugh at) when people enter my shop:

They put ALL their jewellery on to impress me.

Uh WTF.

Also do I care what you have, I'm mainly interested in what you want. ;-)

Also ANKLE bracelets (esp on older women). DA YUCK.

Oh and THUMB RINGS. ARGH!

Try and get her something she already wears at least once in a while. ie if you have never seen her with a bracelet don't get her a bracelet.

x-post I hate ankle bracelets and thumb rings too.

PS was a good idea. Before I got it I didn't even know they existed!

Actually is it a PINK one or a PADPARADSCHA? Those are the most beautiful I think.
Star sapphires are awesome too.

I think it's a pink one but in looking at some GIS results is definitely more pink-orange and pink-red so I'm not really sure. It's pretty much the color of the middle one here:

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=PADPARADSCHA+sapphire&start=20&sa=N&ndsp=20

The really orange ones are gorgeous though and you're right about star saphs.

I meant the middle on in the top row.

Here's some stuff I've been given that I do like...in fact it's pretty much the only stuff I wear:

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/791/necklisisdp2.jpg

Both from my mom-in-law...she got me the cameo bcz Pan has a tiny boner. Both come down to a little below my collarbone, which is a nice length.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/5173/warched5.jpg

Watch was a hand-me-down but it's a very nice little watch. Earrings on left were made by my friend as a going away gift (she knew I loved the color orange). Earrings on right were made by John's sister, who makes earrings from shrinky-dinks.

I guess the running theme is they bothered to know my style...? Which obv is probably not the style of your purchasee. Maybe ask one of her friends what she likes or is into and bring her along shopping?

My mom-in-law gave me the anthro-lady necklace recently, and I have no idea if I'll ever wear it...until I hit menopause:

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7953/zughiy7.jpg

gorgeous watch

totally!

anthro-lady necklace needs bigger beads, more wood

I know, it's baby anthro. Someday it will grow to get turquoise and silver NW-Native whales and bears & such.

Anthro bracelet:

http://www.xdcr.com/mwj/fig18nwi.jpg

Ladies, do you have any opinions about the jewelry they sell at the MoMA design store? Specifically, this:
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Audrey%20Necklace_10451_10001_84098_-1_26690_26691
and this:
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Pearl%20Necklace_10451_10001_136642_-1_26690_26691_136677

I think I like them but I also think maybe they're kinda overpriced for what they are, and maybe they're sort of corny and yuppie idk?

I like the one with the jet beads a lot. Also, I heard this morning that bib necklaces like that are going to be "in" now so the timing is good. It does seem $$ though. I like the pearl one less but I'm not really that big on those types of pearls.

The jet one is fancy though. Would she have much occasional to wear it?

yeah, i don't know, they're pretty but there's not much that's super special about them, kind of arty but still kind of generic. and for $200 i am certain you can get something at some nyc/brooklyn boutique that is really pretty, unique and made by a local designer.

yeah, agreed

http://blog.ejincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Titanic-Heart-of-Ocean-Necklace.jpg

i've also found some great vintage jewelry at shops in nyc (and elsewhere, of course), whereas these are "vintage look" and seem knock-off-able. there's some great costume jewelry out there in the world but there's also a lot of crappy costume jewelry...

personally, i wouldn't really want someone, outside of a platonic girlfriend perhaps, who knows me well, to buy trendy or flashy costume jewelry for me. it seems kind of like buying make-up or hair accessories. it's sort of special and fun at the time, but not super meaningful. whereas a simple silver necklace with crystals (rather than gemstones) in it or a nice metal bracelet is a perfectly great gift.

yeah actually the black one might be a little too evening gown for our lives right now

there's some really cool stuff going on in jewelry design these days
boutiques and higher-end or indie craft fairs have a lot of it

i love jewelry

Jewelry can be lovely, as exquisite small sculptures which can be worn. Or it can be pretty trashy. I can't afford the good stuff, so I stick to a plain gold wedding band and another silver ring with a pleasant twining motif, one ring for each hand. I stop there.

i'm wearing a piece of jewelry for the first time, a ring. it's a chunky polished stone in a triangle shape with a little silver leaf border. my husband lucked into it from a co-worker. i quite like it. a barista just complimented me on it :)

when i was in the 5th grade i bought a skull ring from some head shop. my parents haaaaated it, but i was daydreaming about wearing it to school, about my friends admiring it in the cafeteria, making a big fuss and telling me i was really cool. the funniest part is, that's exactly how they reacted.

this is the best video by my new favorite/favorite new asmr channel, and it's the reason i love jewelry atm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klky89XBoiQ