I hardly ever wear my jewelry...

[Peepa]

... for fear of scratching, dinging, breaking them.
But what happens is, they sit in their pretty little boxes, getting lonelier by the day and not getting enough sunlight.
Any words of encouragement to help me get over my concerns?

 

[iheartscience]

What makes you happier-being able to see your jewelry every day while you wear it, or looking at it every now and then when you're at home? Life's too short not to enjoy nice things!

ETA I'd get everything insured that you can't afford to replace right away and get to wearing it! I bet pretty soon you'll forget you even have it on and you'll stop worrying about it.

 

[Peepa]

What makes you happier-being able to see your jewelry every day while you wear it, or looking at it every now and then when you're at home? Life's too short not to enjoy nice things!

ETA I'd get everything insured that you can't afford to replace right away and get to wearing it! I bet pretty soon you'll forget you even have it on and you'll stop worrying about it.

Yes, you are right. Life IS too short not to enjoy nice things.

 

[kelpie]

Insurance!

 

[somethingshiny]

Keplie beat me to it.

Insure it, wear it.

 

[Peepa]

Well, scratches on platinum is a good thing, right?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I can kinda relate. I barely wear my jewelry these days but it is out of lifestyle more than fear. I hate wearing jewelry to sleep, shower, hanging out at home, or the gym. I only basically wear it to class because I usually forget to put it back on My stock as a good PSer is quickly falling!

 

[vintagelover229]

I don't wear my jewelery at the moment either. I don't really leave the house much and when I do it's to run errands. I don't put my jewelery on to clean the house or just to hang out at home so most of it sits in its box. However I do wear it when we go see family/friends (which isn't that often). Hopefully during the summer my pieces will get more wear I've also stopped buying pieces bc I already don't wear what I have (although I do need to insure more of it now that everyone has pointed that out).

I love my bling both ways. On me and in the box At least I know where it is if I want to wear it or take pictures of it!

 

[Andelain]

Hey Peepa! I'm active duty, currently deployed to Iraq. See that bling in my sig line? I have it here and wear it as much as I can. I guess you can tell my opinion on this subject. Wear it and enjoy it, you only live once!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

You need to get insurance and also maybe you're not buying the right style of jewelry? Something that ends up not quite being "you."

I don't wear a lot either. Mostly just my wedding set and my ACA studs about two days a week. I just got my helix pierced and have to keep the barbell in for three months (so that is something that I cannot get out of wearing) but it's high up and I don't have to think about it...

In the past I've felt bad not wearing stuff and that's why I've sold off most of what I bought and then lost interest in after six months or so.

 

[Peepa]

Hey Peepa! I'm active duty, currently deployed to Iraq. See that bling in my sig line? I have it here and wear it as much as I can. I guess you can tell my opinion on this subject. Wear it and enjoy it, you only live once!

Thanks Andelain! I will.
And stay safe!

 

[Peepa]

You need to get insurance and also maybe you're not buying the right style of jewelry? Something that ends up not quite being "you."

I don't wear a lot either. Mostly just my wedding set and my ACA studs about two days a week. I just got my helix pierced and have to keep the barbell in for three months (so that is something that I cannot get out of wearing) but it's high up and I don't have to think about it...

In the past I've felt bad not wearing stuff and that's why I've sold off most of what I bought and then lost interest in after six months or so.

hi MC,

oh no, I love all my pieces. I don't wear them because I want them always looking new. I just have this thing with scratches and dings.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

You need to get insurance and also maybe you're not buying the right style of jewelry? Something that ends up not quite being "you."

I don't wear a lot either. Mostly just my wedding set and my ACA studs about two days a week. I just got my helix pierced and have to keep the barbell in for three months (so that is something that I cannot get out of wearing) but it's high up and I don't have to think about it...

In the past I've felt bad not wearing stuff and that's why I've sold off most of what I bought and then lost interest in after six months or so.

hi MC,

oh no, I love all my pieces. I don't wear them because I want them always looking new. I just have this thing with scratches and dings.

You can always get them polished back up. I do know what you mean though...I'm the same w/clothes...buying a sweater I love then never wearing it b/c I don't want it to get stained or look washed.

 

[Peepa]

You need to get insurance and also maybe you're not buying the right style of jewelry? Something that ends up not quite being "you."

I don't wear a lot either. Mostly just my wedding set and my ACA studs about two days a week. I just got my helix pierced and have to keep the barbell in for three months (so that is something that I cannot get out of wearing) but it's high up and I don't have to think about it...

In the past I've felt bad not wearing stuff and that's why I've sold off most of what I bought and then lost interest in after six months or so.

hi MC,

oh no, I love all my pieces. I don't wear them because I want them always looking new. I just have this thing with scratches and dings.

You can always get them polished back up. I do know what you mean though...I'm the same w/clothes...buying a sweater I love then never wearing it b/c I don't want it to get stained or look washed.

Me too!! I'm totally the same way with clothes. And handbags too.

 

[diamondringlover]

I seldom wear mine either, since I work at home I seldom leave the house so most of the time I just have a thin plain gold band on and my e-ring sometimes...if I go out I will put my blinger stuff on, but it depends on where I am going..sometimes I wonder why I bother to buy more stuff if I am not going to wear it

 

[kenny]

I feel sorry for your unworn jewelry.

 

[swingirl]

I don't wear my rings unless I go out. Never around the house. But what I do wear all the time are my diamond huggies and diamond pendant. They can't get damaged no matter what my activity is. So if you want some bling to enjoy 24/7 consider those.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Hey Peepa! I'm active duty, currently deployed to Iraq. See that bling in my sig line? I have it here and wear it as much as I can. I guess you can tell my opinion on this subject. Wear it and enjoy it, you only live once!

Hijacking this thread only to say PLEASE stay safe. And THANKS.

 

[coda72]

I sympathize with you because I am somewhat the same way. I always wear some ring on my ring finger (usually my wedding set, but sometimes just my anniversary band), and most of the time wear earrings (usually studs), but the rest of my jewelry sits in the jewelry box 99% of the time. I work in a bar, and that can be rough on jewelry, so necklaces, bracelets, and watches seem like they would be too damaged. Since I work 70 hour work weeks a lot, that means not a lot of free time to wear my other jewelry. I'm not sure how to tell you to get over the same fear I have of damaging my jewelry. I would insure your wedding set if I were you, and at least wear that.

 

[gemgirl]

Hey Peepa! I'm active duty, currently deployed to Iraq. See that bling in my sig line? I have it here and wear it as much as I can. I guess you can tell my opinion on this subject. Wear it and enjoy it, you only live once!

Apologies for the tiny threadjack....... Ande, I just had to say I *love* your new sig line! I don't think you had it four weeks ago when I went into the hospital. That halo of baguettes and rounds- yummmmm!!

 

[Gypsy]

I don't really think there is anything any of us can say. I think it's a personality thing. My grandmother was like this. WITH EVERYTHING. She has fine china, it's in the cabinet. We use corell instead at her house because it won't break. She has lovely diamond and gem jewelry, sits in the safe. She wears her less expensive gold pieces, and not her best ones either. Nice towels, in the linen closet.

Then my grandfather passed and she had to pare down her life and move to a smaller home with less storage space. And she ended up giving away (still won't use) all these lovely items that she had just stored for ages. Including completely unused 60 year old sterling flatware. And admonished us to "keep it safe" as she doled it out. And now winces when it is used in her presence.

What is the point of owning it if you don't enjoy it? Perhaps there is joy in simple ownership. But if you are posting this, Peepa, then simple ownership isn't doing it for you... so just start small. One piece. Wear it 4 out of 7 days a week. And work your way up.

I grew up with this (we lived with my grand parents). I'm the opposite. My everday dishes are my Wedgwood, we use our best towels and replace them when worn (and you replace them a lot less often, because they are higher quality to start with). And after a few initial forays into less expensive pieces of jewelry (which I've now sold or given away) that I settled for instead of just saving for what I really want, I now only own pieces I wear and if they get damaged, I get them fixed or I change the design to something more practical that I can and will wear. They are insured. And I know where are the good bench people in my area are... and where exceptional benches are (usually just a fed ex trip away) for difficult repairs.

I bought a handbag a couple months ago. It's all scratched up now cause I've been hard on it. I took it to the best repair place I know of... came back looking like new. I'm ready to put it through it's paces again. And when I'm ready, I'll get a new bag. And love that one to death too.

 

[Circe]

One of my favorite authors, Marge Piercy, has a line about just this: "a life wrapped in tissue paper." It's employed as a character is sorting through her mother's things, after her funeral, wondering at the fact that her mother was always so careworn, denying herself nice things ... when they were there for her to enjoy, all along.

I sort of shuddered when I read that, because I completely recognized it: since then, I've tried very hard not to emulate it. Life is too short to wait for Godot! I say wear the things that bring you pleasure, or you're just wasting them ....

BTW, Gypsy, beautiful, sad post. That encapsulates what Piercy wrote oh so very well ... only with a happier ending, since you're the polar opposite. Brava!

 

[Gypsy]

One of my favorite authors, Marge Piercy, has a line about just this: "a life wrapped in tissue paper." It's employed as a character is sorting through her mother's things, after her funeral, wondering at the fact that her mother was always so careworn, denying herself nice things ... when they were there for her to enjoy, all along.

I sort of shuddered when I read that, because I completely recognized it: since then, I've tried very hard not to emulate it. Life is too short to wait for Godot! I say wear the things that bring you pleasure, or you're just wasting them ....

BTW, Gypsy, beautiful, sad post. That encapsulates what Piercy wrote oh so very well ... only with a happier ending, since you're the polar opposite. Brava!

Thank you Circe. I could not have said it better myself. A life wrapped in tissue paper. That's my grandmother.

What's really sad is... you CAN'T (short of taking solace-- if it can be called that-- in complete insantity) wrap yourself in tissue paper and protect yourself from REAL loss. Losing a child or a spouse. Or any of the smaller painful hurts you endure in everyday life. I suppose this is some people's way of exterting control. They can't wrap themselves in tissue paper but can to it to everything else.

But then... you miss a lot of the joy those items, so carefully wrapped, would have brought you... that might have helped balance out the pain. So it is for me. Life can be tough. At least when the light catches one of my rings ... and it does whenever I wear one of them, I can have a small thrill at it. A small smile. You add those smiles up. They, too are like tissue paper. Only they insulate YOU. Not your things.

 

[Scorpioanne]

I typically take my diamond rings off while at home for fear of wrecking them (especailly following the loss of a stone last year). My jewller actually told me that they are meant to be worn and enjoyed so I have been trying to leave them on unless I am doing something mucky like baking or gardening.

Towards the end of her life my grandmother decided that she was going to use her Spode china as her everyday dishes and I am so glad she idd that. I inherited her set and had to buy some replacement pieces for it (easy off of Ebay) and I don't know which are hers or not but I love my dishes tho I too use them only at special occasions. I remember washing and drying them as a little girl and feel all soft and mushy inside thinking of my Gan.

I heard of a woman who had sheets that she got as wedding gifts during the 60s or 50s even who kept those sheets wrapped up in her linen closet ribbon and all and used sheets that were worn so much she had put the sides to the middle and put a seam down them so that the worn bits were now on the outside edges.

People give us gifts to enjoy and use and to think of them as we use them, we must remember this (and them) as we use the beautiful things we have.

 

[iota15]

My mother is the same way, although she's gotten better with my... um, convincing?

She'll sometimes say, "Well, see there, that scratch on ____. If you were more careful....." but I tell her it's a "love scar". To me, well worn means it's well loved - whether it's shoes, purses or rings.

Over time, my mother has started to wear things she left in a safety deposit box for decades as well. My grandparents kept the nice things hidden and never enjoyed them, and I think she's getting it now - as nice as any of these objects are, they're only things - and you can't bring them with you to the afterlife.

I would rather have my rings worn to the bone and require a new setting (providing me with endless days of enjoyment) than have them stay pristine in a box forever and out of sight. Plus, you can always re-polish them.

 

[KaeKae]

... for fear of scratching, dinging, breaking them.
But what happens is, they sit in their pretty little boxes, getting lonelier by the day and not getting enough sunlight.
Any words of encouragement to help me get over my concerns?

Aww, Peepa, I'm sitting here, feeling so sorry for your jewelry! Their reason for being is to be worn and loved. In fact, I used to do that with my more 'precious' pieces. Not my w-set, but other diamond things, including my graduation present studs, my grandmother's pendant and my mother's ering diamond. Mom's stone is the stone in the necklace in my avatar. I had it set, then put it in the safe deposit box. There it sat, in the dark, because I was a new mom, busy with baby, and didn't 'need' to wear such things. The earrings and other pendant, too.

Silly me! I eventually realized that my earrings were given to be worn and enjoyed. The pendant and necklace were made by mom and me, for the same reason. Each reminds me of a time and person very important in my life. I now wear them regularly. The earrings are my daily staple and the pendant/necklace get worn more than any thing else, in fact I have to make a conscious choice to wear another piece.

One more thing: I think scratches are like wrinkles. Do what you can to prevent them, but if they happen, they are a part of life. It means you are living (on your skin, on your jewels.) Embrace them or fix them, but don't hide in the dark to avoid them!

 

[VRBeauty]

One more thing: I think scratches are like wrinkles. Do what you can to prevent them, but if they happen, they are a part of life. It means you are living (on your skin, on your jewels.) Embrace them or fix them, but don't hide in the dark to avoid them!

That brings to mind my SIL's sister, who used to consciously avoid smiling because she didn't want those wrinkles. She did this when my brother got married so there she is in their wedding pictures - looking glum.

A smile is meant to be used, and IMHO so is most jewelry!

 

[Imdanny]

OP, this is a good thread. I'm of two minds on things like this. I got pretty discouraged when my stainless steel Jaeger LeCoultre watch got scratched up, and then I thought, well, I should have kept it in like new condition, and on the other hand (no pun intended), I used to let SO borrow it. It had a black strap and that was what SO wanted (and he didn't want me to change it to brown). So I never wore the watch on a daily basis. It seemed too fancy with the black strap and it was something (the watch) that I had to be mindful of in terms of not leaving it in a hot car if I went to the beach (because it had a specific temperature range outlined in the manual believe it or not in which it had to reside without damage being caused to it). Still, over five years, it got scratched. So it was kind of like the worst of both worlds- I didn't wear it everyday and it got scratched up anyway. I sold it but I've often thought what would it have been like (and maybe I should have) told SO that I was going to change the strap (and too bad) and worn it every day. I think if I had done that the chances that I would have enjoyed the watch would have increased tremendously. I have not received my Cartier band ring from SO (moving blew that out of the water temporarily, add to which our civil union law doesn't start until January 1) but I have already decided that I will wear it every day, no matter what, with the exception of sleeping (maybe), cleaning, working on the car, and things like that. It will get worn and scratched, etc. I don't like scratches (I guess I'm temperamental about this). But there doesn't seem to be a perfect solution. If you wear something it gets used looking. If you don't want it to get used looking, you don't get to wear it. At least, it's a good problem to have.

 

[Peepa]

I don't really think there is anything any of us can say. I think it's a personality thing. My grandmother was like this. WITH EVERYTHING. She has fine china, it's in the cabinet. We use corell instead at her house because it won't break. She has lovely diamond and gem jewelry, sits in the safe. She wears her less expensive gold pieces, and not her best ones either. Nice towels, in the linen closet.

Then my grandfather passed and she had to pare down her life and move to a smaller home with less storage space. And she ended up giving away (still won't use) all these lovely items that she had just stored for ages. Including completely unused 60 year old sterling flatware. And admonished us to "keep it safe" as she doled it out. And now winces when it is used in her presence.

What is the point of owning it if you don't enjoy it? Perhaps there is joy in simple ownership. But if you are posting this, Peepa, then simple ownership isn't doing it for you... so just start small. One piece. Wear it 4 out of 7 days a week. And work your way up.

I grew up with this (we lived with my grand parents). I'm the opposite. My everday dishes are my Wedgwood, we use our best towels and replace them when worn (and you replace them a lot less often, because they are higher quality to start with). And after a few initial forays into less expensive pieces of jewelry (which I've now sold or given away) that I settled for instead of just saving for what I really want, I now only own pieces I wear and if they get damaged, I get them fixed or I change the design to something more practical that I can and will wear. They are insured. And I know where are the good bench people in my area are... and where exceptional benches are (usually just a fed ex trip away) for difficult repairs.

I bought a handbag a couple months ago. It's all scratched up now cause I've been hard on it. I took it to the best repair place I know of... came back looking like new. I'm ready to put it through it's paces again. And when I'm ready, I'll get a new bag. And love that one to death too.

hi gypsy,
i'm digressing here, but what were they able to do to make your handbag looking like new again?

 

[Peepa]

I typically take my diamond rings off while at home for fear of wrecking them (especailly following the loss of a stone last year). My jewller actually told me that they are meant to be worn and enjoyed so I have been trying to leave them on unless I am doing something mucky like baking or gardening.

Towards the end of her life my grandmother decided that she was going to use her Spode china as her everyday dishes and I am so glad she idd that. I inherited her set and had to buy some replacement pieces for it (easy off of Ebay) and I don't know which are hers or not but I love my dishes tho I too use them only at special occasions. I remember washing and drying them as a little girl and feel all soft and mushy inside thinking of my Gan.

I heard of a woman who had sheets that she got as wedding gifts during the 60s or 50s even who kept those sheets wrapped up in her linen closet ribbon and all and used sheets that were worn so much she had put the sides to the middle and put a seam down them so that the worn bits were now on the outside edges.

People give us gifts to enjoy and use and to think of them as we use them, we must remember this (and them) as we use the beautiful things we have.

I like your last sentence a lot.