What is it worth?

Did you know that the jewelry you own or especially the pieces you collect have a history of their own? For example, a Charm Bracelet. Be the bracelet gold or silver, and even the size of the charms do not matter because a charm is a charm and each one tells a story. If you have one, take it out of the jewelry box right now and look at it and ask yourself these questions:

When did I start collecting charms and which was the first one?  Which charms mark a significant event for you?  Did you buy it or was it a gift?  If it was a gift, was it engraved?

 This brings me to the main subject of this blog: engraved jewelry. When a piece of jewelry, be it a charm or a ring, is engraved, there is a lot of history in those few etches. What does it say? Does it have a name and date?

When and why was it given and inscribed?

This information may not seem important to you at this moment, however, if and when the inscribed piece moves on to a new owner, be it a member in your family or passed on to another relative, or sadly, sold to a stranger, its little bit of history will always be there as a reminder of the original owners life. Now if the piece is an antique acquired at a jeweler’s who sells antique jewelry, this inscribed piece can make the ring, brooch or Cameo valuable and pricy. That’s well and fine, but what about that history? It could be historical; a name & date of some famous person or marking a significant date. Or just simply lovely. The date of a marriage or anniversary, who gave it to whom, when and why.

So next time you go through your or a relative who passed away jewelry box, look at the pieces carefully. People often say, “If only this piece can talk.” These heirlooms do, in fact, talk. They can tell us a great deal about history, just like your Family Museum does. So instead of keeping that inscribed piece of jewelry hidden away, showcase it.

Put it into a shadow box with, if you have one, a picture of the owner. If not, and there is a date inscribed, a picture of a scene from that time. I have a shadow box displaying several little pieces of jewelry I collected over time. Putting this display together is fun and you can be creative while making it.

Remember, the history of a person or family can be found it some unlikely places. So look for it, read it and find out more, and treasure it always. Jewelry is more than a token of love; it’s History.