How old were you for your first purchase?

[ringthings]

How old were you when you made your first "real" jewelry purchase?

Why? What got you interested in jewelry?

Was it wedding related? Some other life milestone (graduation, etc.)?

Can''t say that I''ve really made one of my own yet, but someday.. (likely when I''m not in college!)

 

[RockHugger]

My first engagement ring when I was 17. It was a .5ct diamond solitare ring. Its funny because I thought it was so pretty at the time (it was an I1-2, J-K color), and now I look back and think....wow I spent HOW much on it?! Sence then (6 yrs) I have had 3 more engagement rings. (I am a chronic upgrader).

First non wedding purchase was actually my diamond earrings 4 yrs ago.

What got me interested? I love shiney sparkely things. If something sparkles I wil see it.

 

[y2kitty]

At 22, after I had gotten my first job out of college and saved up, I bought 1.1 carat emerald cut diamond studs. I had always wanted diamond studs, and since I couldn't convince anyone else to get them for me, I went ahead and bought them myself. I knew I wanted emerald cuts because I had always loved them, they are not as common as round studs, and I have extra large earlobes so they fit my ears better than round studs of the same weight would. These were my first purchase for myself, and I must say, I wore them at least 200 times a year for the past 8 years. Doing the math, it works out to about $1.25 per wearing, which is less than some people spend on coffee in a day. I can't remember when I got interested in jewelry because I recall always being interested. Once my mom bought a gaudy CZ 20 carat emerald cut ring for a Halloween costume when I was 7 and I remember wearing that around the house for fun.

 

[jewelz617]

When I was in college I bought my first pair of diamond studs. It''s been downhill ever since.

 

[Fly Girl]

Other than my 14k gold earrings at 16 or my HS class ring, I guess it would be my engagement ring (0.21 ct "A+ quality") at age 21. It didn't cost all that much, but I'm still married to the guy and I'm busy making up for lost time.

ETA - And, since this is the Colored Stones forum, I have purchased earrings set with colored stones my whole life, beginning at about age 17. I still have those aquamarine oval studs set in 14k white gold.

 

[MissMina]

I can''t remember not being interested in jewelry.
I loved looking through my mom''s things which
started my lifetime love of rose gold.
As a teen my grandmother gave me an heirloom
opal ring, my birthstone.
I think my first purchase was a Mexican opal
set in silver I bought on a family vacation.
I knew early on that I wanted only gold or
silver and "real" stones.

 

[gemgirl]

I can''t count my first engagement ring at 19 because it wasn''t my jewelry purchase. My first real jewelry purchase was made at 27 years old. I went to Fortunoff to buy myself something that wasn''t tiny and dinky to celebrate getting myself through my first (of nine) surgeries. I bought myself a watch that I still wear all the time. After that, my first gem ring- an amethyst, then a diamond cluster ring, then a beautiful locket. And the ball has been rolling ever since!

I was born interested in jewelry. I just thought I''d never be able to afford it, until I figured out how.

 

[AustenNut]

My first jewelry purchase (again, apart from a H.S. ring) was when I had just turned 29. I became interested primarily through the PS forums as I was doing research for what I wanted for an e-ring. Right now I''m trying to figure out if I can afford a jewelry habit and a travel habit, or if I''ll have to choose. But the stuff here sure is tempting!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

31 and it will be here in about a week

So, excited!!!

 

[Arcadian]

My first purchase was an aqua and sterling silver bracelet from K-mart when I was 15. I don''t remember exactly how much I spent but it was ALOT of money for me!

I saved money from my summer job in order to get it and I still have it. Its quite a heavy piece with a lot of stones. Ahhh the golden age of aqua...

I don''t remember the carat weight unfortunately. The stones have very good saturation and the bracelet still fits.


-A

 

[fierypyropixy]

I was 18. It was the norm for a lot of people in our church congregation to each gift a little bit of money when high school graduation swung around. I ended up with a pretty tidy sum (for being 1 and wanted to not waste it on magazines and books, but do something meaningful. My mother has always worn a little diamond pendant my father bought her when they were first married, and I thought it would be a nice tradition. I chose a double buttercup setting for a 1/3 carat round diamond, and never take it off. My brother seems to have caught on, and gave his girlfriend (now wife) a diamond pendant as well.

I''ve always been attracted to diamond ads in the magazines though . . . I was hoarding bridal mags at the age of 12, and have STACKS of ads I would rip out and admire. I somehow never thought they''d be attainable and until recently was able to keep them strictly fantasy-league. But PS has started to change all that . . . hehehe. Out of the big binder they come! My FAVORITE coffee table book has been the "Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry" book since it was first published. I still love to sit and flip through and drool . . .

Colored stones began only recently. I had a larger blue topaz set into a ring the first year we were married, but then nothing for the next three years . . . until my birthday this year when we bought "the big fun ring" as a birthday present to wear to a release party for my husband. I felt a little frustrated at having to go with whatever a jeweler was telling me, and wanting to know for myself what was "quality" and what was an utter waste of my money. I''m starting with the relatively inconsequential and working my way up.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I was 27, it was about 6 months after I graduated medical school.

I used my tax refund to buy a pair of diamond studs.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I had my first custom piece made when I was 22, and used my old .33 ct. princess cut diamond that was my first engagement ring from my ex. Technically, I bought that ring, too.

Other than that, I bought a pair of 1.1 ct. diamond studs when I was 25 and a .40 ct. pendant at the same time.

 

[m00sie]

I bought my first piece of gold and diamond jewellery when I was 15. It was an anniversary band, around 0.10ct of diamonds (extremely poor quality!).

I love jewellery, but seem to hoard it and never wear it!

I bought a 1.2ct princess diamond eternity ring last year - but I haven't worn it yet lol

 

[ringthings]

This is all fascinating.

 

[yssie]

This is really interesting!



When I first became interested in jewellery I was definitely of the "buy more, whatever it is!!" disposition. I have boxes and boxes of complete junk from these three years.


I saw a sterling link bracelet at Tiffany, then, and I just had to have it. I saved like crazy for a looong time for that thing, realized I didn't miss not acquiring more garbage in the meantime, and by the time I had enough saved I decided I didn't want it afterall - I wanted an iPod more.


I really only got interested in jewellery again when FI and I started to talk about getting engaged - this time, though, it was all about the quality stuff (thank goodness for PS! Not only is it a wealth of information - it plants the idea that all jewellery should be held to a certain standard, and should be researched, and this was definitely a new idea for me) My first "real" jewellery purchase was my 7mm BN akoya stud pair, I think, just two years ago

 

[ArtistJess]

i REALLY like this post. it is so interesting to see how everyone''s tastes have grown and evolved.

i have no idea what triggered my love of diamonds. when i was seven or eight, i told my neighbor i wanted a diamond ring for my birthday. she gave me little gold band with some clear stone (cz maybe?). i still have this little ring, but it doesn''t even fit over my knuckle on my pinky finger now. i keep it for sentimental value.

a couple of years ago, fiance and i were looking for engagement rings and since he knows very little about diamonds, he allowed me to sort of pick one within our budget (we were both in college at the time and went in together to buy an adorable antique diamond ring on ebay for $500). we later had to sell the ring to finance our first move to another state for my first real job. we sold it with the understanding that a new one would be purchased before the wedding, when we got back on our feet.

after a few months of working again and saving, we both purchased a really nice pave band with a .55 carat pear shaped diamond center. loved it, but it was a size 9 and my finger is a size 5. i didn''t want to risk having it sized for fear that the little diamonds would fall out (i work with my hands quite a bit).

we went back to the place where we had purchased it, and upgraded to a very nice .8 princess with a channel set band and matching wedding ring.

this christmas i saved a tiny bit of money from a contract job i had taken, and bought a very sweet pair of high quality .3 ctw four prong diamond studs. i just love them. i wear them everywhere and they are the perfect size for my small ears.

i''m sure i will get more.. i''d love to eventually get an eternity band of 2 ctw, but that will have to be put on hold until after the wedding in may and the honeymoon.

 

[Christiana]

I think I was around 6, when I first pierced my ears. I had bought - with my mother''s help, of course- a pair of yellow gold studs that looked like roses with a small diamond in their center. I still keep them, because I''d like them to become my daughter''s first earrings, too.

I have to say, I started gathering "real" jewels since the day I was born, but these were gifts. The cross from my christening is an exceptional piece, for example. But the earrings I mentioned above were the very first jewels that I chose from a shop. A lovely memory, I have to say!

 

[marcy]

Great topic and I enjoyed reading everyone''s posts.

I was always interested in jewelry but until college it was all costume jewelry. I saved babysitting money in high school to get my ears pierced. In college I had a friend with nice jewelry who let me borrow her rings sometimes so during college I bought my first few YG gemstone rings and earrings. My first major purchase was an emerald ring that I bought after I graduated from college. After that my jewelry purchases were few and far between until about 10 years ago and I got my first sapphire ring. After that it''s been as frequently as I can afford it and I always have to get matching ring, earrings, pendant and bracelet.

 

[ringthings]

Cool stories. I was expecting more the "I was 30-50, my first non-wedding purchase." I better get started myself!

 

[Arkteia]

For myself...Funny, I was about 33 and was staying all alone for the whole year in Des Moines, IA. They had a very interesting Target store, a combination of a regular and very upscale sections, in West Des Moines. There were even diamond solitaires sold there! I bought a ruby "estate" ring. It is a ruby, but recently my appraiser told me it is not worth the gold it is set in. All in all, it cost me $ 50 dollars. But it was mine.!

BTW the only thing I ever stole in my life (at 5) was also a "gem". It was a purple piece of glass (an "amethyst") that we kids hid in the ground as a "secret" Well, later I returned to dig it out and bring it to my mom as a gift. But later I felt so ashamed!

 

[ringthings]

Cool. Worth little or not, I''m sure it still made you happy at the time and is probably really pretty.
I''ve bought a lot of silly stuff over the years that didn''t get used much, and probably should have gotten something that would last longer. I''m hoping to get myself a ring this year, and am worried I''ll end up with something I don''t like in a year, or something that I overpaid for. But, like yours, I will have done it for myself and that''s gotta be worth something.

 

[D&T]

16 after I started working at Sears

then worked in Jewelry

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My first jewelry purchase was at age 30 when I bought studs for my 30th birthday. Before that in my early 20s my dh and together purchased my eng. ring. Is it bad that I cannot remember now if I was 23 or 24 when I was eng? lol

 

[ringthings]

Well, at least you remember about the rock. I think the mid-s of any age/decade are kind of a blur.

I like the idea of earrings as a 1st purchase. I''d be afraid I''d loose them.

 

[Sal from Cal]

Interesting reading to see how people started their collections. Thanks for starting it.

I was ~20 and bought a little .2 ct ring for my gf at the time. That ring ended up being the solitare for her wedding ring a year later where the ring guard was more than the orginal ring (then again I had a real job by then) . Personally don''t wear jewelry but always loved how well it looks on most and my mom was a big time collector.

Now at 48 I am finally starting my own project with LOTS of help from this site and its users. Just ordered the stone and then on to the setting...

 

[ringthings]

Cool, sol. It always seems like weddings/engagements are many people''s first leap into jewelry.
That''s fun that you''re starting your own collection. I love looking through relatives/friends collections, and I''m sure your fam will enjoy seeing yours, too.

 

[Burberrygirl]

I haven''t made my first real purchase yet, all my expensive jewelry has been gifts from my parents or grandfather. I think my first real purchase (something over $1000) will have to wait until after I graduate.

 

[HopeDream]

I've always been a jewellery girl!

When I was 5 my dad bought me a costume jewellery pendant that looked like a small marquise sapphire surrounded by tiny RBs.

My first semi-precious purchase (age 11) was a ss ring with a square garnet and 2 heart shaped czs for side stones (It didn't even fit, I'm not sure what I was thinking) It cost a whole $20 which was my life savings at the time.

My first real purchase was an 18k bezeled diamond 0.5 ctw eternity ring that I bought in my mid twenties to congradulate myself for a sucessful completion of an honours thesis.

More to come as soon as I get a real job and start making money.