We have a confession to make, right up front. Our blog is about a lot more than just bling, which is defined as “expensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry, or the wearing of them”. We just liked the sound of the name, and sometimes amuse ourselves by trying to say it fast three times in a row. Try it for yourself, you’ll end up saying “Blabber’s Big Bong” or something equally silly. In this blog we’ll be talking about all things jewelry – diamonds, gem stones, precious metals, jewelry design, trends and fashions, and practical stuff like how to assess quality and value. Personally, I can’t think of a more pleasant conversation, which is why I love my job. Jewelry has always been my passion, and I’ll be sharing some of that passion with you in the months ahead.
I think the thing I love most about jewelry is how it is associated with moments of joy and celebration, pomp and ceremony; across all cultures. I’ll allow that there may be some undiscovered jewelry hating tribe living deep in the rainforest, but virtually every other human culture has woven jewelry and personal adornment into its fabric.
From the moment of our birth and throughout a life, we acquire keepsakes, but I would argue jewelry holds a special place. First there’s cute little baby bling and jewelry gifts for the new mother (we’ve had a few ladies call it their “Push Present”, apparently jewelry even dulls the memory of labor pain). And then there are the symbolic and sentimental gifts associated with moments like birth days, religious ceremonies, graduations, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, and retirements. Although I’ll never understood why they give a gold watch to people who are retiring. Just give them golf clubs, they’ll figure out on their own how to make their tee off time. The point is, whenever there’s a special event or moment in life, you can find a jewelry app for it. And that’s not to overlook those occasions where jewelry is gifted (or self-gifted) “just because”. Those become special moments on their own.
Another thing that fascinates me about jewelry is the value it holds to the wearer, and to those close to the wearer. I don’t mean just the monetary value some societies, including our own, assign to precious metals and gem stones. Those are actually pretty arbitrary, if you think about it. As much as it pains me to say it, we don’t actually need jewelry to survive the zombie apocalypse. But we all love what jewelry represents; it’s beautiful, it’s sentimental, it’s a repository for special memories, and it has long been associated with displays of love and affection. The real value of jewelry to most of us is established in the heart, more so than the mind.
For these reasons, pieces of jewelry, unlike almost all other possessions, are often the most cherished heirlooms within a family. Whether we refurbish an existing piece so that it can continue to be worn, or repurpose gems and metal into something new and fresh, jewelry allows us preserve and burnish family memories across generations. I see evidence of this every day when people bring in pieces of jewelry that they treasure, often far in excess of the value of the bit of gold and gemstones used in the piece. Inheriting, or being given a treasured family heirloom by the owner, gives us a feeling of being connected, in a tangible way, to those who came before us. And many of us hope that one day we can likewise pass on our fine jewelry to those we love.
These are the reasons why we are passionate about our business. We look forward to sharing our experience and knowledge with you over the life of this blog. If you have specific questions or information you would like to see covered, let us know and we’ll do our best to incorporate it.
All the best, and shine on,
