What's an Annual (Jewelry) Tradition I can start?

[ringthings]

I've done traditional charm bracelets, and am ready to try something new.

What's an annual jewelry tradition that I can add to each year?

I've thought about Pandora, but I would never remember the meaning of glass beads... and they're kind of heavy (and a little pricier than I prefer).

I found an "add a pearl" necklace online, but those 14" and 16" chains are way too short for my huge neck. (Ha!) And, you apparently have to send them in every time you want to add a pearl so you can restring them.

I don't want to just buy a ring, necklace, or something new every year...

Surely there's some reasonably affordable "annual jewelry tradition" I can start at home, no professionals needed to string a necklace, other than traditional charm bracelets. I want the tradition to hopefully be something I can continue for a decade or more.

Are stackable rings about the only tradition?

Are there such things as diamond or gemstone "string one per year" necklaces?

Any ideas?

 

[Circe]

I wish I knew! I sort of feel like, now, by the 5th year of marriage, I have exhausted the possibilities of stacking rings (come on now, seriously, all of you people with long fingers who can stack more than three rings at a time - JEALOUS!) and need a new tradition. The one I've been considering is kind of a cross between add-a-diamond and a charm bracelet: getting a bezeled stone for each anniversary and making a kind of a station/bib necklace out of it. I just can't decide if I want to have all of one shape and wind up with a riviere eventually, or do more of a Pokemon gotta-catch-em-all thing with different shapes ....

 

[Imdanny]

I was going to say "charm bracelet' until I read your first sentence!

 

[ringthings]

I wish I knew! I sort of feel like, now, by the 5th year of marriage, I have exhausted the possibilities of stacking rings (come on now, seriously, all of you people with long fingers who can stack more than three rings at a time - JEALOUS!) and need a new tradition. The one I've been considering is kind of a cross between add-a-diamond and a charm bracelet: getting a bezeled stone for each anniversary and making a kind of a station/bib necklace out of it. I just can't decide if I want to have all of one shape and wind up with a riviere eventually, or do more of a Pokemon gotta-catch-em-all thing with different shapes ....

Cool, I can't wait to see your project. Are you going with dangley stones, or round bead type shapes?

Yeah, I like rings... but stacking too many is too much for my stubby fingers (and stubby self, ha!).

Maybe I should look into Pandora more. If they had necklaces, maybe that would be ok. I guess at least Pandora bracelets or necklaces would be more wearable and less jingley than a charm bracelet. I've never really understood the sentiment of "oh, I remember this bead from my wedding, and this Pandora bead from..." I would probably forget which bead is which. And, maybe I'm too cheap, too. It seems like one nice diamond piece could be had for the price of an entire Pandora bracelet. But, I did see a few pretty ones I liked the other day. Some of the glass beads on that style are kind of heavy. I guess I could look at them in person and get a better idea of them. I'm thinking that most people that have them get beads as gifts from family/friends. People I know aren't big gift givers... and the ones that are sure wouldn't spend that much on a "bead." So, I would be buying them all. That's probably why I'm cranky about the whole idea, too.

I wish there was a "add a pearl" necklace where you could add a pearl by yourself each year. Or, add a diamond... with no need for jewelers or mailing the thing to the company every time you want to add one.

 

[Circe]

I think I'll go with dangling stones - I love "bib" type necklaces. Haven't decided about the shapes, though - I also want to get a kind of charm bracelet with one of each shape!

You know, if you get your pearls strung on gold wire instead of silk, it would be very easy to add a pearl whenever you wanted, no muss, no fuss ... I'd practice on silver or copper first, but it's a very easy skill to pick up!

 

[kelpie]

Bangles? Those are something that look better the more there are. I can never get stock ones anywhere near my size or I'd be all over that tradition.

 

[ringthings]

Ooo, I hadn't thought of bangles. That might be a fun tradition.

Ideally I want to add to one jewelry piece each year, but that might not be practical. The "bead a year" pearl necklaces I've seen have to be sent in to have each pearl added. I don't want a large annual expense and hassle for that.

I thought about trying to design a ring or bracelet and have a stone added each year, but... I'm not sure that would turn out well.

Stacking rings are nice, but my short fingers don't agree.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

How about a wide bracelet that you add a flush set stone each year, scattered all over it? Each year, you can choose different stones, sizes and placement, according to what happened (a small black diamond for a tough year, a light sapphire for a tranquil one, a larger diamond for a particularly successful year, etc). You could do a cuff or a wider bangle, according to taste, with some interesting texture to set off the stones. An anticlastic cuff would be particularly nice and would protect both the stones from chipping and the texture from wearing down.

Flush setting is not particularly difficult and you would not be tied down to a particular vendor.

 

[ringthings]

Cool idea, thanks!

I like that I could tailor a stone and placement each year.

That could be really fun... I could add old stones off of family pieces, and add stones that people give me as gifts, too.

I like that bracelet. I found the designer-- I. Reiss Scattered Diamond Gold Cuff

I might try to come up with a necklace and do this with since I don't wear bracelets often.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Do you like rigid necklaces (collars) or do you prefer something on a chain?

 

[ringthings]

I prefer something on a chain-- I have a big neck.

I also like rings.

 

[VRBeauty]

I love that cuff, and the possibility of adding heirloom stones.

Anther option is leverback earrings that are designed so you can switch out the dangles... get a different pair of gemstones each year.

But I have to ask... are you sure you need a new annual jewelry tradition? Another option would be to save up and trade a few years worth of annual jewelry purchases for something more "substantial."

 

[maccers]

I have a different kind of tradition to suggest but you'd need to have someone you trust (and someone who has jewelry you like).

My late grandmother left a fair amount of vintage jewelry to my sister and me. We split up the pieces (some are worth a modest amount and others are just really fun vintage costume jewelry) and every year (usually Christmas) we trade some of the pieces with one another. It's been a fun way to get 'new' jewelry - there's usually something that she'll trade with me that I had forgotten about and it's fun adding it to my wardrobe (e.g. I never thought I'd be wearing brooches but once I figured out how to incorporate them in a fashionable way, it's been great).

I know this isn't what your original posting was asking but thought I'd share the idea anyway.

 

[ringthings]

I love that cuff, and the possibility of adding heirloom stones.

Anther option is leverback earrings that are designed so you can switch out the dangles... get a different pair of gemstones each year.

But I have to ask... are you sure you need a new annual jewelry tradition? Another option would be to save up and trade a few years worth of annual jewelry purchases for something more "substantial."

I like the cuff bracelet too. I've been looking through my heirloom jewelry to see what I could add to it.

Earrings? I hadn't thought of those. I actually don't own any nice earrings, so that might be nice. I'll have to think about designs of that.

I could just save the money a few years and get something "big." That does make sense, but I'm pretty overly sentimental and impatient ... I kind of want one item that "changes" through life with me. I guess I could just save money every year, keep thinking of a design, then have something "bigger" with a design that took a few years to come up with. Or, save up for a nicer diamond then have it reset throughout life. I'm impatient and probably couldn't wait for that, but I like the idea of it. Being my sentimental sappy self, I don't think I would be the type to trade in jewelry.

 

[ringthings]

I have a different kind of tradition to suggest but you'd need to have someone you trust (and someone who has jewelry you like).

My late grandmother left a fair amount of vintage jewelry to my sister and me. We split up the pieces (some are worth a modest amount and others are just really fun vintage costume jewelry) and every year (usually Christmas) we trade some of the pieces with one another. It's been a fun way to get 'new' jewelry - there's usually something that she'll trade with me that I had forgotten about and it's fun adding it to my wardrobe (e.g. I never thought I'd be wearing brooches but once I figured out how to incorporate them in a fashionable way, it's been great).

I know this isn't what your original posting was asking but thought I'd share the idea anyway.

That's a neat idea. I like how you made a tradition that includes your sister and grandmother heirlooms.
I unfortunately don't have anyone to do that with, but it does sound fun. My friends aren't into jewelry, no sisters, and the cousins who split grandma's heirloom jewelry with me aren't all that close and there wasn't much costume jewelry. Actually, I was just about the only one who was interested in the costume jewelry. There were a few brooches in our batch, too... can't say I've figured out how to wear them fashionably yet. I do like the trading idea-- I'll have to keep it in mind for hopefully a sister-in-law, friend, niece, grandchild, or something one day. Very cute idea.

 

[swingirl]

I would start my own "diamonds by the yard" necklace adding one diamond every year. Of course, you would have to get it to a jeweler to add the stone every year. I like to hunt for K's or lower in the perfect size and collect them for an eventual project.

 

[VRBeauty]

Some threads on interchangeable earrings:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-for-a-pair-of-colored-stone-earrings.176709/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/for-babyblue033-earring-charms.116875/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-eternity-band-got-lonely.122679/

 

[mrs taylor]

I wish I knew! I sort of feel like, now, by the 5th year of marriage, I have exhausted the possibilities of stacking rings (come on now, seriously, all of you people with long fingers who can stack more than three rings at a time - JEALOUS!) and need a new tradition. The one I've been considering is kind of a cross between add-a-diamond and a charm bracelet: getting a bezeled stone for each anniversary and making a kind of a station/bib necklace out of it. I just can't decide if I want to have all of one shape and wind up with a riviere eventually, or do more of a Pokemon gotta-catch-em-all thing with different shapes ....

Cool, I can't wait to see your project. Are you going with dangley stones, or round bead type shapes?

Yeah, I like rings... but stacking too many is too much for my stubby fingers (and stubby self, ha!).

Maybe I should look into Pandora more. If they had necklaces, maybe that would be ok. I guess at least Pandora bracelets or necklaces would be more wearable and less jingley than a charm bracelet. I've never really understood the sentiment of "oh, I remember this bead from my wedding, and this Pandora bead from..." I would probably forget which bead is which. And, maybe I'm too cheap, too. It seems like one nice diamond piece could be had for the price of an entire Pandora bracelet. But, I did see a few pretty ones I liked the other day. Some of the glass beads on that style are kind of heavy. I guess I could look at them in person and get a better idea of them. I'm thinking that most people that have them get beads as gifts from family/friends. People I know aren't big gift givers... and the ones that are sure wouldn't spend that much on a "bead." So, I would be buying them all. That's probably why I'm cranky about the whole idea, too.

I wish there was a "add a pearl" necklace where you could add a pearl by yourself each year. Or, add a diamond... with no need for jewelers or mailing the thing to the company every time you want to add one.

I do the trollbead line rather than pandora. Both were started in the 70's, I just prefer the aesthetics of the troll line. I also prefer the chains. They have two different styles of necklaces and I LOVE them. Might be something to consider.

 

[innerkitten]

How about you get a gold or silver band have a small stone flush/gypsy set into it each year?

 

[innerkitten]

I would start my own "diamonds by the yard" necklace adding one diamond every year. Of course, you would have to get it to a jeweler to add the stone every year. I like to hunt for K's or lower in the perfect size and collect them for an eventual project.

Good idea. Start with the chain and the first small diamond, and move up from there. Those are actually pretty easy to set. the jeweler can pre done settings for them.

 

[ringthings]

Hm... I think I will go for the bangle and set stones in it each year. Maybe it could look "confetti-like" with different colored stones.

I do like those Pandora necklaces too.

 

[Efriede]

I actually started my own annual tradition with DBTY necklace. I am planning to add a diamond each year. Hopefully to build a 36 inch rope one day.

 

[ringthings]

DBTY are neat. Please post pics when you start yours.

 

[teddybearmommy]

I like the diamond by the yards idea as well. My question is can you start short say16in and go longer as you add diamonds? Or do you have to start with a long chain if that is what you want to eventually end up with?

I would like to have a long 24 inch one someday, but it will look odd in the beginning stages being that long.

 

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