My love for jewelry probably began when as a toddler I was presented with a "baby ring." It was an inexpensive gold band large enough to fit on my chubby finger, and which, I am sure, I quickly grew out of. Mother kept it for years in her jewelry box, and finally released it to me -- I'm not exactly sure when. I wore it on a chain around my neck nearly every day for many years, and still do on occasion.
Another piece I remember well was a georgeous (hideous) giant emerald green ring which was way too large for my finger. My birthstone is emerald which made this piece even more meaningful for me.
After I had the ring a very short time, I secretly wore it to school -- against Mother's wishes -- and absent-mindedly left it on the sink in the girls' bathroom. When, in a panic in the middle of a class, I remembered the ring and raced to the bathroom to retrieve it, it was nowhere to be found. Of course, it was in some other little girl's pocket -- the only logical explanation. If I have a good thought about that loss, it is that the other little girl couldn't wear the ring to school. Being in a small town and a small school, I would surely have seen the ring and claimed it as my own.
For my 8th grade graduation, Mother gave me an ankle bracelet, a sterling silver identification style. The week after school was out I wore it to the swimming pool to show it off to all my friends. On the ankly bracelet's first outing, it got lost in the field we cut across to walk home from the pool. And, we hadn't even had a chance to get my name engraved on it!
My bad luck with jewelry ended when I got my high school class ring. Being the eldest of a large family, it was up to me to earn the money for this important memento. I wore it with pride for years and still wear it occasionally. It has pride of place in my jewelry box.
The pieces pictured with this story were created by me and have nothing to do with this tale but to lure you into my web -- or blog, as the case may be. I'll tell you all about them another time.
