Greetings all,
I love how strangers inspire some blog posts - this week's social commentary is thanks to a lovely lady at the optometrist who asked if i was engaged. I looked at her strangely & said "no, i've been married for 15 years" & then realised i was only wearing my engagement ring. Since i had surgery on both my wrists earlier this year . . . my fingers swell & i often have to remove rings because they hurt. I don't like to be naked on my ring finger, sometimes i just wear my wedding band, other times my engagement ring, or just my eternity ring (a gift from my husband this year, colluding with jeweller Emma Kidson, such a surprise & the perfect compliment to my other rings!!)
So just from looking at my left hand, you can see i'm married, maybe a young bride, possibly a while ago. My diamonds are modest, suggesting i didn't marry for money?? A keen eye would also note my rings are white gold . . . i'm allergic to yellow gold + i prefer silver jewellery. The 5 diamonds on my eternity ring represent my husband & our 4 children. All that information from a glance at the jewellery on one finger.
Recently a friend celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary & was bursting to show me her updated wedding rings - yes, updated - she had always wanted bigger & better diamonds. Personally i wasn't fussed on even having a diamond in my engagement ring, a lovely sapphire would have been perfect, but my husband saved up & insisted on a diamond. But to update my half carat diamond to something bigger, later in life because we might be able to afford it?? Never. I love what my rings say about us, who we were.
My sister refused to take off her wedding rings when she had surgery, to me they are merely symbolic jewels, my marriage is in my heart. My sister-in-law is a dentist & can't wear her rings under gloves, she often leaves them at the surgery or by a basin. This proved hazardous with her son 15 years ago, when he took her engagement ring & proposed to a girl in his kindergarten class. Luckily the mother of the betrothed girl realised it was 'real' & returned it, phew!! My darling nephew had bitten the ring to make it fit her too. I completely understand - when i was 5 - i chomped down on my mother's jade ring to make it fit me.
My mother had Joy perfume, Chanel handbags & Missoni dresses collected from travels, however, her wedding rings . . . after 40 years of marriage, she had them soldered together as they had worn so thin. They were the best my father could afford at the time & to my mother, they meant the world, representing where they came from - children of the depression & married young in 1955. I really respected that.
How about you, do your jewels say a lot about you too?? Can you take your wedding rings off?? Do you feel naked without them?? I fiddle with mine when i talk to people, they are my little security blankets. My husband can't wear rings to work, he goes for months without wearing a wedding band, even at home he forgets. Sob - i've often farewelled him off to war only to come home to find his wedding band on my bed side table, now that is heart breaking!! My wedding bands will always be my favourite pieces of jewellery, what they mean & the story behind our young love. Love Posie
