Introduction

Every single piece of jewelry that I wear has an important significance to me. Any time someone complements a piece of my jewelry, there is always a story, or a memory attached to it. Even the smallest earrings represent something much larger. However, when someone looks through my jewelry box without guidance from me, they might just see pretty things. My jewelry is a dedication to the people and places that have changed me for the better. They are representations of my core values. They are physical signs of my accomplishments. They are reminders of my loved ones. They are so much more than just metal and stones. My jewelry is a reflection of who I am, so my jewelry box requires a guided tour. Today, I am going to share some of the highlights with you. Think of me as a tour guide as we venture through silver and gold, diamonds and garnets, memories and stories. 

My First Diamond Earrings

I still remember receiving my first pair of diamond earrings like it was yesterday. Maybe this is because I wore them yesterday. They have been and always will be a staple in my jewelry box. I remember seeing the iconic Genovese Jewelers and instantly understanding what I was about to open. I watched for years as my mom opened and collected her own deep-blue Genovese boxes. It felt a little unreal that I was opening my own. I am glad my parents waited so long to give me my first pair of “big girl” earrings because I understood their significance. It was a sign that my parents trusted me to take care of these earrings. It was a sign that I was growing up. It was a sign of how my relationship with my mother will continue to strengthen as the years go on. Every time I wear these earrings, I think about my mom. I have been extremely lucky in life to have a trusting, healthy, and beautiful relationship with my mom. I am honored every single time someone tells me that I look and act like my mother because she has been and always will be one of my biggest role models. I cannot imagine my life without her advice, her love, and her presence. To me, these earrings connect me to my mother and her legacy. They represent the trust she has in me, the passion that she has instilled in me, and the love that she has for me. She will always be there for me, just like my earrings will always be present in my jewelry box. 

My Crescent Pin

This is the item that took me the longest to obtain. It took me four years to have the honor to wear this pin as a Visitation Academy alumna. I have written more in depth about my experiences going to an all-girls, Catholic high school in a past blog post so today, I want to write about how my experience at Visitation Academy continues to impact me into my adult life. I do not think that I would be the person I am today if I did not attend Visitation Academy. It set me up for success in university where I can balance difficult (sometimes grueling) coursework with a smile on my face. It instilled in me the importance of female friendship, which inspired me to join my sorority (which has given me another pin to wear side-by-side with my crescent pin). It gave me many lifelong friendships bound by shared values that have brought me so much joy and sunshine into my life. I describe Visitation Academy as soil. Visitation Academy was a place that encouraged me to grow and blossom into the best version of myself; this is a very fitting metaphor since the founder of the school – St. Francis de Sales – said that famous quote, “Bloom where you are planted”. My crescent pin connects me to a long line of women who also graduated from Visitation Academy. Our pins are symbols of our dedication to each other and to our high school. Like the moon, Visitation Academy and our sisterhood will always be there, even if we cannot see it with our eyes. 

My Pinky Ring

I wear a lot of rings. I usually have at least two rings on my fingers at any given time. One of my favorite rings is my pinky ring, which is a little silver wishbone ring from Pandora. Although it is tiny, it represents sixteen years of friendship. Not a lot of twenty-one-year-olds can say that they have known someone who is not biologically related to them for 75% of their life. For one of my birthdays, Maya took me to Pandora, and we got matching pinky rings. I think that we picked pinky rings because it was trendy on TikTok, although they ended up being a very good representation of our relationship. Pinky rings have traditionally represented many attributes, including status, power, and family relationships. I want to focus on family relationships here because Maya does not feel like just a friend. I have talked about my best friend Maya a lot in my blog because she feels like family, like the sister I never had. She has seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful in my life. Maya has always set the bar for what friendship and loyalty means to me. I see my pinky ring as a physical representation of our friendship. Something that is constant. Something that is beautifully uncomplicated. Something that is shared between just the two of us. Every time I look at my ring, I am reminded of the strength of our friendship. Our friendship is stronger than the silver wrapped around our fingers, but it is unceasing, like a ring wrapped around your finger.

P.S. My favorite blog post that I have written about Maya is my blog post about perfume!

Conclusion

Jewelry has always represented something deeper than a beautiful trinket. It represents family and love and friendship. It represents loss and memories and death. It represents the past and the present and the future. My jewelry is a reflection of who I am and what is important to me. I ask you all to take a deeper look at your own jewelry. What does it represent? What does it mean to you? What memories are attached to this piece? By taking a tour of your own jewelry box, you can gain a better understanding of yourself.