Ode à ma Mère
- Thread starter BWeaves
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Once again sitting around the fireplace listening to BWeaves tell her stories... how marvellous ! I've always been indifferent to Amber in the past but I'm starting to appreciate it. I think I've always seen 'ordinary' looking Amber..or even fake.. but I love your earrings and the necklaces! Most of all I love the stories ! Thanks so much for sharing them !!
trulyviolet
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i love amber......and yours is wonderful....
great stories too
battah
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Still catching up and making my way through the thread, but BWeaves, I'm so very sorry for your loss. It's very special to be able to wear pieces of jewelry that your mother loved, and to be able to remember the stories behind each piece. Much love to you.
BWeaves
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Well, that's it until the diamond ring is finished being reworked at the jeweler. (Or I can get my sister to let me photograph some of her pieces.)
Unless you want to see the Native American jewelry she gave me years ago when they owned a western store. This would be lots of turquoise and fetishes, circa 1980-1990. I wore a lot of it during the Urban Cowboy era, but I haven't worn it in decades.
Unless you want to see the Native American jewelry she gave me years ago when they owned a western store. This would be lots of turquoise and fetishes, circa 1980-1990. I wore a lot of it during the Urban Cowboy era, but I haven't worn it in decades.
CathyKeshi
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BWeaves, perhaps a new thread, Silver/Turquoise/Native/Southwestern jewelry ... similar to the Jade threads etc.? I'd love to see your pieces.
baby nurse
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Really enjoying the stories and pictures in this thread, BWeaves! Thank you for sharing them.
BWeaves
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I'm holding off on the Native American jewelry just a tad longer. I got to play in my Sister's jewelry box today, and she's letting me share photos of some of the the pieces she got from Mom.
Earrings. Most are large mabe' pearls from the 1980's and 1990's. The lower center pair are stunning 8 mm akoyas with diamond comet tails, which are the earrings Mom leant to Sister for her wedding.
The right bottom pair are faux SS pearls with faux diamonds. Mom wore them on her own wedding day, 60 years ago. Even Mom's faux jewelry is gorgeous and hasn't tarnished.
All earrings have omega backs except the faux earrings which have a French hook with a hooky thing at the bottom as a safety. I'm sure there's a name for that kind of back, but I can't think of it at the moment.
Mom's 2 strand pearl (6 or 7 mm akoyas) and round diamond spacers and clasp. This is a big bracelet.
Mother of pearl, black onyx, and diamond earrings. The MoP didn't photograph very well, but is actually much prettier than it looks here. These earrings are about as big as the mabe' pearl earrings. 1" in diameter.
The pearl and black onyx bead necklace. It goes well with the previous earrings.
Mom's pear shaped diamond mounted on a gold omega necklace. I could see a stunning pearl mounted like this, too. It's a very comfortable necklace to wear.
Earrings. Most are large mabe' pearls from the 1980's and 1990's. The lower center pair are stunning 8 mm akoyas with diamond comet tails, which are the earrings Mom leant to Sister for her wedding.
The right bottom pair are faux SS pearls with faux diamonds. Mom wore them on her own wedding day, 60 years ago. Even Mom's faux jewelry is gorgeous and hasn't tarnished.
All earrings have omega backs except the faux earrings which have a French hook with a hooky thing at the bottom as a safety. I'm sure there's a name for that kind of back, but I can't think of it at the moment.
Mom's 2 strand pearl (6 or 7 mm akoyas) and round diamond spacers and clasp. This is a big bracelet.
Mother of pearl, black onyx, and diamond earrings. The MoP didn't photograph very well, but is actually much prettier than it looks here. These earrings are about as big as the mabe' pearl earrings. 1" in diameter.
The pearl and black onyx bead necklace. It goes well with the previous earrings.
Mom's pear shaped diamond mounted on a gold omega necklace. I could see a stunning pearl mounted like this, too. It's a very comfortable necklace to wear.
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BWeaves
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In order to get one of Sister's pieces, I have to swap her for one of mine. We both got items we wanted. Every time I try on the big mabe' earrings, I really don't like them. The necklaces on the other hand . . . I'll invite you to the mudwrestling tournament when it happens. If I gave her the SS drop earrings or the ring I'm having redone, she might swap me a big piece, but I like them too much.
Pearly-Whites
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BW--thank you so much for posting these wonderful pictures. It is a stunning collection and what is old is new again!!
pammbw
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BWeaves- I am new to Pearl Guide, and have really enjoyed reading your stories about your mom. I lost my mom about 4 years ago, and am just now able to start wearing the few pieces of jewelry she left me. Reading your stories has been really nice, and has inspired me to collect even more, and especially to document my pieces for my two girls. I have always said, I can tell my life story through my jewelry box!
I have sat them down a couple times since they have been older- they are 23 and 20 now- and showed them my pretties and told them who gets what, and even included them in on new purchases. All so that when the time comes, there will be no problems dividing up the collection, and there will be plenty to make everyone happy.
It all started when my husbands beloved grandmother died, and her jewelry was divided up. My daughters were each given a ring from their GG grandmother, dating to the 1880s. I thought this was the most wonderful, touching way to connect with family history, and I researched her, and told them her name and her story. I was fascinated, them, maybe a little less so, lol. But the idea was planted. This is my immortality, how I will be remembered 100 years from now when my GGgrand daughter looks down at her finger and sees my ring on her finger and thinks of me.
I too am eagerly awaiting more! Thank you!
I have sat them down a couple times since they have been older- they are 23 and 20 now- and showed them my pretties and told them who gets what, and even included them in on new purchases. All so that when the time comes, there will be no problems dividing up the collection, and there will be plenty to make everyone happy.
It all started when my husbands beloved grandmother died, and her jewelry was divided up. My daughters were each given a ring from their GG grandmother, dating to the 1880s. I thought this was the most wonderful, touching way to connect with family history, and I researched her, and told them her name and her story. I was fascinated, them, maybe a little less so, lol. But the idea was planted. This is my immortality, how I will be remembered 100 years from now when my GGgrand daughter looks down at her finger and sees my ring on her finger and thinks of me.
I too am eagerly awaiting more! Thank you!
BWeaves
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Native American jewelry.
My parents owned a small Mom & Pop style western store for decades. When they retired, they sold everything, including the fixtures and the building. They are probably one of the few small business owners that went out of business with a profit. They got out right before the internet kicked into to high gear.
Because they sold Native American silver and turquoise jewelry, I got some nice pieces from the store. I gave back some of the larger, heavier pieces because they were just too uncomfortable to wear. I actually thought Squash Blossom necklaces were called that because they squashed your blossoms. They were massive, and best worn over heavy velvet blouses with big collars or denim shirts.
Anyway, here's the pieces I wore a lot. Mom bought them all originally for the store. I wore them in the 1980s and 90s with bright colored business suits with huge shoulder pads.
The ring used to fit my ring finger, where it looked much better. It's too big for my pinkie, so it never gets worn now.
The bracelet is quite modern looking. It's rectangular and fits my wrist well. The inlay is turquoise, sugilite (purple), malachite, and black onyx. The photo is not distorted. The inlays really are at a slight angle.
The blue diamond ring was my 25th anniversary present. Or was it my 20th anniversary present.? I don't remember. Too many years ago. They irradiate brown diamonds and some turn a lovely turquoise blue.
My favorite turquoise earrings.
Double strand turquoise, heishi (brown shell beads), and carved fetishes (animals).
Single strand of carved fetishes. Some of them carved from Mother of Pearl.
The fetish necklaces are way more expensive than some of my pearl necklaces. I really should give them more love.
My second favorite earrings.
Turquoise necklaces. They lay better over a denim shirt with a collar. The collar helps spread the rolled necklace so it lays in a better curve and doesn't "break" in the middle.
More like this.
This type of necklace is made in an interesting way. The bead disks are roughly carved, and then strung on stiff wire. Then the whole necklace is rolled back and forth to sand the beads into a smooth tapered tube. It's how they get the beads perfectly graduated. Then the beads are restrung into a necklace. There is no clasp. The ends of the beading string is knotted and then covered with raw hide wrapped around it.
I could imagine a pearl necklace of petal shaped pearls with round pearls in between.
My parents owned a small Mom & Pop style western store for decades. When they retired, they sold everything, including the fixtures and the building. They are probably one of the few small business owners that went out of business with a profit. They got out right before the internet kicked into to high gear.
Because they sold Native American silver and turquoise jewelry, I got some nice pieces from the store. I gave back some of the larger, heavier pieces because they were just too uncomfortable to wear. I actually thought Squash Blossom necklaces were called that because they squashed your blossoms. They were massive, and best worn over heavy velvet blouses with big collars or denim shirts.
Anyway, here's the pieces I wore a lot. Mom bought them all originally for the store. I wore them in the 1980s and 90s with bright colored business suits with huge shoulder pads.
The ring used to fit my ring finger, where it looked much better. It's too big for my pinkie, so it never gets worn now.
The bracelet is quite modern looking. It's rectangular and fits my wrist well. The inlay is turquoise, sugilite (purple), malachite, and black onyx. The photo is not distorted. The inlays really are at a slight angle.
The blue diamond ring was my 25th anniversary present. Or was it my 20th anniversary present.? I don't remember. Too many years ago. They irradiate brown diamonds and some turn a lovely turquoise blue.
My favorite turquoise earrings.
Double strand turquoise, heishi (brown shell beads), and carved fetishes (animals).
Single strand of carved fetishes. Some of them carved from Mother of Pearl.
The fetish necklaces are way more expensive than some of my pearl necklaces. I really should give them more love.
My second favorite earrings.
Turquoise necklaces. They lay better over a denim shirt with a collar. The collar helps spread the rolled necklace so it lays in a better curve and doesn't "break" in the middle.
More like this.
This type of necklace is made in an interesting way. The bead disks are roughly carved, and then strung on stiff wire. Then the whole necklace is rolled back and forth to sand the beads into a smooth tapered tube. It's how they get the beads perfectly graduated. Then the beads are restrung into a necklace. There is no clasp. The ends of the beading string is knotted and then covered with raw hide wrapped around it.
I could imagine a pearl necklace of petal shaped pearls with round pearls in between.
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