These intricate gold bangles are from the mission's trip I went on to India two years ago. I went there with a team of four others and we were there for a month, visiting churches and families in local villages. Besides photos of the trip and memories in my heart, I didn't bring much else back except these. Bangles are such a traditional embellishment for Indian women and wearing these bring me back to the relationships that we built and the times we shared with the locals there, as well as the challenges that we encountered and the faith that was required to get through them.Though my jewelry collection has piled up substantially over the years, certain pieces are undoubtedly more special to me than others. Some of these may not be the prettiest baubles that I have, butthe stories that go along with them are what make them treasured beyond any material value that they may possess. Here are a few of my favourites coupled with brief stories of why they are so special to me.
Long before I was a statement jewelry fanatic, I preferred gold, nature inspired & relatively daintier pieces. These four were from former local jewelry designer Constantina James (her label, Simply Sublime) who has since moved her work to Greece. My late-teenaged self thought they were pretty much amazing since they were gold filled instead of gold plated, especially since my scope had been limited to what I'd seen in shops like Claire's and Aldo. Since I couldn't afford them at full price, I eagerly anticipated her annual sales where every piece would be marked down to $25; that's how I obtained these. My favourite of the bunch is the necklace with the 'fan', which is actually a real leaf dipped in 24K gold.
This Lanvin x H&M necklace is probably one of, if not the most gorgeous, standout piece in my collection, but aside from its beauty, it also brings back memories for me. It was the first (and likely last) time I ever waited outside for a designer collaboration, and my bestie (who doesn't even really care for fashion) willingly waited outside with me for nearly 10 hours- in the snow, no less: a mark of a selfless friend.
The Thomas Sabo charm bracelet was given to me by David's dad about two years ago. He and David have been intermittently giving me charms as gifts to adorn it with since. I prefer to wear only one or two charms at a time, but this one is my favourite and stays on it almost exclusively: it features boy and girl stick figures and on the other side there is a carved heart. David gave me this one last Christmas, and it is extra special to me because he wears one from the same series (except it only has a boy stick figure) around his neck which his mum gave to him when he was a child.