Values (Material) Inherent, Intrinsic, Perceived
It's all in the eye of the beholder. What else can explain this silly little conundrum, that a jewellery item manufactured of gold or platinum set with diamonds - a coveted item for so many of the first world's females (third-word women are more sturdily concerned with adequate food and shelter) - is prohibitively expensive to obtain and own. Proudly own. Obviously, it's the relative scarcity of the materials: gold, platinum, diamonds.
Confession: I may be a practical individual but I too obsess about jewellery, admire pieces for their lovely designs, workmanship and grace. I tend to eschew really inexpensive "costume" pieces in favour of pieces made from precious metals and precious and semi-precious stones; not exactly 'fashion' pieces, but items that I consider, through the lens of my personal aesthetic to represent beauty.
The practical side of me admits that it's insane to spend steep sums of hard-earned cash to satisfy such irrelevant cravings. So my choices are modest in relative terms, because my purchasing power is also modest. Leaving me not frustrated but utterly satisfied, grateful for what I am able to acquire, particularly when the discussion revolves as it does, on such obvious trifles.
Yet there's one other thing. Sterling silver is a precious metal, and cubic zirconia are, as far as I'm concerned, legitimate stand-ins for the more pricey and precious - in terms of availability - diamonds. A well designed ring, for example, whose manufacture is executed with care and pride, made of silver and set with zirconia provides me with full satisfaction. I defy anyone to differentiate when examining it, between the affordable and the 'authentic' piece.
A lovely ring which I had bid for on an oft-visited site on e-Bay now graces my finger. It satisfies and more than satisfies my craving for beautiful design and construction. Its cost was well under ten dollars. A similar ring with similar-set and -sized stones fashioned of gold and diamonds sells for from $13,500 "and up" at a local well-known jewellery chain. Is this madness or what?
My daughter is as smitten with jewellery as I am. Like mother, like daughter; her daughter too exhibits an inordinate interest in jewellery of all types. It gives me great pleasure to obtain all manner of jewellery pieces and to give them regularly as gifts, to my beloved daughter and priceless granddaughter.
Their cost is insignificant, given their materials - still precious metal, still respectable semi-precious stones of various types - and the pleasure it afford us is legendary in our family.
Confession: I may be a practical individual but I too obsess about jewellery, admire pieces for their lovely designs, workmanship and grace. I tend to eschew really inexpensive "costume" pieces in favour of pieces made from precious metals and precious and semi-precious stones; not exactly 'fashion' pieces, but items that I consider, through the lens of my personal aesthetic to represent beauty.
The practical side of me admits that it's insane to spend steep sums of hard-earned cash to satisfy such irrelevant cravings. So my choices are modest in relative terms, because my purchasing power is also modest. Leaving me not frustrated but utterly satisfied, grateful for what I am able to acquire, particularly when the discussion revolves as it does, on such obvious trifles.
Yet there's one other thing. Sterling silver is a precious metal, and cubic zirconia are, as far as I'm concerned, legitimate stand-ins for the more pricey and precious - in terms of availability - diamonds. A well designed ring, for example, whose manufacture is executed with care and pride, made of silver and set with zirconia provides me with full satisfaction. I defy anyone to differentiate when examining it, between the affordable and the 'authentic' piece.
A lovely ring which I had bid for on an oft-visited site on e-Bay now graces my finger. It satisfies and more than satisfies my craving for beautiful design and construction. Its cost was well under ten dollars. A similar ring with similar-set and -sized stones fashioned of gold and diamonds sells for from $13,500 "and up" at a local well-known jewellery chain. Is this madness or what?
My daughter is as smitten with jewellery as I am. Like mother, like daughter; her daughter too exhibits an inordinate interest in jewellery of all types. It gives me great pleasure to obtain all manner of jewellery pieces and to give them regularly as gifts, to my beloved daughter and priceless granddaughter.
Their cost is insignificant, given their materials - still precious metal, still respectable semi-precious stones of various types - and the pleasure it afford us is legendary in our family.
posted by Pieface @ 5:23 PM
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