This afternoon I took my mother's wedding ring set to a jeweler to find out if I could take out the stones and put them into new settings. My mother's set included a band of small diamonds, a band of tiny sapphires, and another small band of emeralds and diamonds. Each of the bands are different in style and size.
But after the jeweler examined them, it turned out that the sapphires and the emeralds, being soft stones, were too scratched and damaged to safely remove and remount in another setting. "She really wore the life out of these," the jeweler remarked. Yes, she did. Mother wore them every day and I never saw remove them when gardening, cleaning, washing, cooking or for any other reason. She didn't believe in saving your good things--she believed in wearing and enjoying them every day.
So I decided to have the diamonds in the band, which are in good condition, put in a setting that I will be able to wear often. When I do, I will think about Mother and the two rings that went back to my jewelry box. And that will remind me to enjoy my good things every day.
But after the jeweler examined them, it turned out that the sapphires and the emeralds, being soft stones, were too scratched and damaged to safely remove and remount in another setting. "She really wore the life out of these," the jeweler remarked. Yes, she did. Mother wore them every day and I never saw remove them when gardening, cleaning, washing, cooking or for any other reason. She didn't believe in saving your good things--she believed in wearing and enjoying them every day.
So I decided to have the diamonds in the band, which are in good condition, put in a setting that I will be able to wear often. When I do, I will think about Mother and the two rings that went back to my jewelry box. And that will remind me to enjoy my good things every day.
6 comments:
This makes me think I ought to do something with a half-hoop diamond ring my mother inherited from her grandmother. Perhaps it could go into a less prominent setting and be a little more wearable. My mother wore it to black tie parties, but I really don't go to events that are on that order!
That's right! Wear your good things everyday. Use your sterling flatware. Drink from crystal glasses. Don't save, use!
Your day at the jeweler made me smile and think fondly on my mom too.
I had a diamond reset about 9 years ago. It was the diamond that was in the engagement ring my first husband gave me. After our divorce I had it reset in a necklace which I still wear often. Some might think it strange, but it reminds me to always be thankful for the life I now enjoy. And .... since he cleaned out the bank accounts and filed for spousal support, I figure I ended up paying for it in the end anyway, hee, hee - sigh.
Does this principle apply to our Bibles too?
I love how my grandmother (now in glory) used hers for everything. She had shopping lists, prayers, family news, reminder notes, dates she read a passage, newspaper clippings and underlined passages (most of it!)--all in one old, floppy KJV.
It's a treasure for my mom and I.
Should we still use her old Bible or do that to our own?
CP--Don't you think you must do it to your own? But that doesn't mean you wouldn't use your grandmother's Bible from time to time! How wonderful to have a really USED Bible--think I'll go downstairs and dog ear some pages in mine.
Love this!
...dog ear some pages... Ha ha!
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