Accessories to Memories

Styled and written by Vivian Rodriguez

Photographed by Mindy Welland

You’re walking into a store and a necklace catches your eye, what do you see when you look at this necklace? An accessory. You buy the necklace and it becomes your favorite. You wear it all the time. Years go by and you pass that necklace sitting on your dresser. You glance at it for a moment. It’s no longer an accessory but a reminder of the first time you bought an expensive piece of jewelry, a first date, the day you got your dream job, your 20th birthday, or maybe the time you got engaged. The point is, it’s no longer an accessory—it’s a memory. 

Jewelry has the potential to be much more than just an object or an item. It can hold so much more meaning than most think. Personally, it’s so hard for me even to let go of an inexpensive piece of jewelry because I see so many memories attached to it. It’s super interesting to think of how you can buy jewelry with the intent of it being a simple accessory when over time it becomes such a prized possession. For example, my grandma has collected a plethora of jewelry over the years, every piece holding so much value to her. She even has pieces that haven’t been worn in many years or that don’t even fit her, however, she refuses to give them away.  She saves these individual pieces because of the memories tied to them. She has recently passed down some of her most memorable jewelry to me. Her jewelry not only carries her memories, but they’ll soon carry mine- a feeling that’ll forever mean the world to me.

Along with passing jewelry down, it is a flex to thrift or get second-hand jewelry in good condition. I like to think of who had the piece before and how much it might have meant to the previous owner. Vintage jewelry can hold a high value money-wise but also memory-wise. I love to pass down or gift my friends jewelry rather than just tossing them because it can have so much potential for other people. I cherish every piece I have passed down or has been given to me and I hope others see value in that too.

As consumers, it’s easy to get so caught up with constantly buying and discarding new items that we overlook the value of older pieces entirely. Trends come and go, but sentimentality can imbue familiar accessories with fresh potential. The next time you go to put on a piece of jewelry, take a second and think of the memories it holds.