Jewellery is amazing at being part of rituals, mostly because it is almost ceremonial when put on, but importantly because once we wear it, it is with us, an extension of our bodies with both an inward meaning and an outward projection.
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Jewellery is very commonly used to signify and protect marriage: in Western society wedding rings are the most common symbol. In China, Jade bangles protect marriages, African beaded pieces and Japanese pearl jewellery equally tell the story of the couple and their romance. In India, the role that the Western wedding ring plays is taken on by the mangalsutra necklace.
Whichever type of jewellery is being used, the piece personifies a whole relationship with moments added every day - but of course it is limited to those married, which is very special, but not for everyone. Having something just for yourself, for your meaning and your thoughts can be just as empowering and hold at least as much, if not more meaning.
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Talismans, which are objects that showcase images meant to carry religious or magical powers, are most commonly seen as pendants on necklaces. They are often intended to cater to one specific outcome, for example good health or protection.
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Heirlooms or jewellery made from recycled heirlooms: Whether it is the grandmother’s ring, or the stones from the ring used in a newly made pair of earrings, the memory can live on by giving inherited jewellery a new lease of life. But this also means your jewellery now, new to you, might become such a heirloom in the future, so treasuring a piece now, giving it meaning now, looking after it and treasuring it, might mean it will be carried down for generations.
- Playful jewellery: It doesn’t always have to be so serious, though. Even an otherwise normal piece of jewellery that was bought under certain circumstances can forever be a reminder and anchor to those times. If you’re out on a cafe crawl with the girls and are having the best time, why not use that croissant necklace and imbue it with how this moment felt, how touching it will bring you back to the happiness and contentment of what seems a small moment? The big days, we'll always remember, but the small ones? Sometimes it's important to celebrate those just as much.
- Handmade jewellery: Artisan jewellery has a life before it enters yours, it has been thoughtfully designed and touched several times by the maker to make it into what it is now. But what if it was YOU who made it in the first place? When you have been around for the entire process? Chances are, there are silversmithing workshops near you, so if you would like an absolute blank page to start writing your own story, why not look up a teacher and join them to learn how to make a piece yourself?*
It is fantastic how we can steer meaning. We have the free will to attach it (though sometimes it might seem like a higher power!), and the freedom to share it if we wish. What is more human than telling a story? Whether this is connected to others (through marriage or family) or just for yourself doesn't really matter. What matters is the feeling you have when you think of it, the attachment you feel and the emotions you connect.
*of course I have to mention my own workshops in and around Liverpool / Merseyside here...
