Why do we love jewelry so much? Part 1

 I love jewelry. You, too? Join me in this reflection on why we can't get enough of it in our lives.

We value our heritage 

Heirloom jewelry is so special. A piece of jewelry is portable history, one of the few material things passed down through families that endures. We tell our children and children's children the stories the pieces bring to mind, and we feel closer to our roots when we wear them.

True story. One of my ancestors once approached his family jeweler looking for a special gift for his wife, and the jeweler happened to have a gorgeous loose diamond he'd bought from a private individual. This jeweler had an excellent reputation and only procured stones whose provence he trusted, so my ancestor wanted to buy the stone. The price was $30k (a fortune back then and still a lot, right?).

"I have $25,000 cash in my truck right now," my ancestor said. (Back then, small businesses like his often accumulated cash.) He began walking away when the jeweler hesitated, and as you have no doubt guessed, the jeweler then agreed and soon had a big stack of bills in his safe.

My ancestor's wife loved the ring, and my ancestor was pleased with the deal he'd made until one evening he got an urgent call from the jeweler.

"The police are here," the jeweler said. "Can you get down to my shop right now and bring the ring?"

The police were investigating a jewelry heist, and it turned out that the individual who had sold the diamond to the jeweler had misrepresented its provence. The jeweler and my ancestor were both questioned and then cleared, but they were shaken. Worse, my ancestor had to explain to his wife that he'd given her a stolen stone.

To make amends, the jeweler offered to make another ring out of an even more valuable diamond, and that's how an exquisite diamond ring came to be in my family and passed down to me.

What stories does your jewelry tell?  Please share with us.

Patricia Lynn Hanrahan