January 16, 2007
ADP II: Society, Collectible Item
Jewelry
A collection of items I have that I didn't realize was a true collection until discussion about collecting began in ADP was my large array of jewelry. I love wearing it and each piece I own, I've realized, carries some significance or connotation. I remember the circumstances in which I obtained it, which bring back emotions and different times in my life. There is plenty that I don't wear anymore, which still carries as much weight with me, but I am just past that point in my life. Each is something that says something personal about me. The earrings I have in mind are ones that my brother brought back from Spain for me a couple months ago. I was shocked at how aptly my 16 year old brother picked out some gorgeous earrings for me, and every time I wear them they remind me that while we fight a lot and ignore each other plenty, we still have each other and understand each other well. They are especially cool because they came from Spain.
Jewelry is often ignored as just "fluff" but I'm sure that if you examine any culture that has existed in history, the jewelry they wear carries a lot of significance. It can be religious, a symbol of triumph, a family heirloom, or a cultural trend or fashion. I can think of no jewelry that would carry no significance with it. In our culture jewelry is a symbol of status, a way to express yourself to others without overtly stating as with, say, clothing. I believe it carries more significance than clothing usually does because (at least to girls) jewelry is like a small treasure that no one else can really be a part of it, because no one appreciates the story behind it. One can find out a lot about a person by the jewelry they wear and knowing the stories behind the jewelry they wear.
Image available at https://mfile.umich.edu/?path=/afs/umich.edu/user/s/a/sarahcl/DSCN1468.JPG, or in my itcs site
Posted by sarahcl at January 16, 2007 10:35 PM