Sentimental Jewelry

Recently I organized my jewelry boxes. It was something I had been wanting to do for years, but I always put it off. Finally, I decided it was time to organize them because many of my necklaces were becoming so tangled I was afraid one of them might get broken.

Not knowing how else to do it, I decided the the old-fashioned way was best:

I simply opened up my jewelry boxes and then dumped out all the contents into a big pile.

First, I sorted out the items I no longer wanted (they were either broken or just not my taste anymore), and I either tossed those out or put them into a small donate bag.

Then, I organized the items I did want to keep. I untangled at least a dozen necklaces and I paired up all of the earrings.

Everything else that was leftover was purely sentimental (mostly pieces from my childrhood and "jewelry" made by my children) and not really knowing what I wanted to do with them, I temporarily left those in a small pile.

Now, I'm not really a huge jewelry person. I tried wearing necklaces in high school, but they were always on impossibly thin and delicate chains that had ridiculously and easily broken clasps. All I remember wearing during and after college was earrings. And perhaps the occasional bracelet, which usually felt tight and uncomfortable on my thick wrists. Up until when my kids were really small, I only wore earrings, my engagement ring and my wedding band.

That changed several years ago when I bought two or three necklaces for myself at a friend's jewelry party. I picked out pretty but sensible (and fairly indestructible) "go with everything" pieces and told myself that they were meant to be worn- and I have actually worn them quite a bit. So much so that I let myself buy a few more necklaces at another jewelry part. And do you know what?

Wearing jewelry makes me feel good.

It makes me feel a little bit more put together and just a little bit dressed up. My skin is very sensitive so I seldom wear make-up anymore, so now I just slip on a necklace for an instant pick-me-up. And knowing that I wear them, that they are not just just sitting there in my jewelry box, also makes me feel good.

I discovered during my recent jewelry purge that I have quite a few pairs of earrings, and many of them are the post-style earrings. I know that I don't always change my earrings as often as I might, and I'm working on that. I decided to keep most them on a trial basis. Today, for example, I am wearing a pair of earrings that I know I have only worn a few times. If I like them enough to wear on a rotating basis, then I will keep them. The ones I don't wear, won't make it through the next purge.

Happily, I was able to contain all of my necklaces and earring into two wooden jewely boxes.

Lastly, I was faced with all of my sentimental pieces from my childhood, such as my silver charm bracelet and the "jewelry" lovingly made for me by my children. I could have easily thown it all into the trash and no one would have been the wiser, but I decided not to. I will admit, I let these items tug at my heartstrings. I really don't have many things from my childhood, and these things were quite small. And now that they are thirteen and ten years old, my kids are probably not going to make me anymore jewelry.

Sentiment, in its right place, is a good thing.

I pondered a while about where to keep the sentiments of my childhood, and then it came to me. My grandmother passed away when I was fourteen, and I have a yellow heart-shaped ceramic box that came from my grandmother's house. I'm sure it has little or no monetary value. I have always associated the color yellow with my grandmother because of all the daffodils I picked for her as a child, so I decided that this box was a fitting place for these items from my childhood.

I was going to tuck my children's homemade jewelry away. If I left it out, it would only attract dust, right? Well, that's what I usually tell everyone who is decluttering.

Well, once in a while you've gotta break the rules...

On a whim, I set my children's handmade jewelry inside a pretty Limoges basket that I keep on my dresser along side my jewelry boxes. The basket had come from my aunt's house years ago, before I was even married. Not that it matters, but it's probably one of the few pieces from her house that has any monetary value. Previoulsy I had used it to put my jewelry in when I took it off instead of putting it away where it belonged. My aunt never had children of her own, so it somehow felt right to place all of my children's handmade jewelry into that basket.

Now I can look at that handmade jewelry every day and think of all of the love my children's chubby little hands put into making that jewelry for me. Memories that are worth far more to me than whatever that basket may be worth.

And now I have to put my jewelry away when I take it off, instead of setting it aside to do another day... and that at least is helping me stay more organized... so I like that.

As I look at my necklaces clustered inside its little wooden home, I wonder if I might be able to store them better some other way. I'm toying with getting a "Jewelry Tree" from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It looks a little large to me in the catalog, so I won't be able to decide until I go to the store in person. My husband & I have worked hard to create a bedroom that is much more of a haven than it used to be.... and I'm not sure if a Jewelry Tree fits into a haven. We shall see... but for now, my jewelry has a home and I can find it. And use it. And enjoy it. And occasionally remiminisce. Isn't that the point of having things???

What does your jewely say about you? And what do your jewelry boxes say about you?

What pieces could you part with- and what pieces are too sentimental to let go of?

And if it's been a while since you've worn much of your jewelry- what are you waiting for?