Jewelry through the years

Over the years, my jewelry box has changed as have my habits. As a teenager in the 60s, jewelry was kept to a minimum. Maybe some pearls for special occasions, but that was it. 

In my 20s as a young wife and mother who also worked, I added a lot of costume jewelry to my stash. Small brooches/pins, and pendant necklaces ruled until I got my ears pierced. Then I slowly added earrings with gold/sterling/stainless backs. A few nice necklaces, but nothing spectacular.

This continued until my late 30s-40s when I  met and married my late husband. When we married, we had next to no money, so I used my mother’s wedding set. Over the years, I added Black Hills Gold rings, earrings, and necklaces – something I loved that was sparked by my first pieces bought for me by my husband when he was traveling for work.

When I sold the house and became a full-time RVer, maybe a dozen special necklaces came with me as well as a couple of rings and pins. Nothing spectacular. I was no longer working and had no need.

Now in my 70s, I only keep things I will wear on a cruise to dress up a top, or for a special ocassion: my wedding rings, my special nugget heart necklace, and three pair of gold earrings (my gold ball studs, my diamond hoops that I bought as a widow when I saw them on sale, and my Hugs & Kisses (X & O) black hills gold semi-loops). Around the house, I only wear a simple gold stud earring and the rest stays put away.

Back when I was working, as soon as I came home, all jewelry came off. While I loved the look of the necklaces, they irritated my neck and if it was warm, they really bugged me. Same with my rings – hot weather means swollen hands, means rings off.

What kind of jewelry do you have and love now? What do you wear & when?