Silver chains, beaded friendship bracelets, dazzling gold rings and simple necklaces can complete one’s daily look. While some style their outfits with staple pieces, others choose to mix and match their accessories, telling a story along the way.
To some, a beaded friendship bracelet may seem like a silly addition to an otherwise simple outfit. However, the bracelet may have been a gift from their little sibling who misses them or a memento from working at a summer camp.
To the wearer, these pieces often have a deeper meaning, whether they choose to share it or not. Each piece of jewelry helps convey the unique mosaic that makes up an individual and often symbolizes an important story, event or person. These jewelry pieces are a physical reminder of something or someone important to them.
A ring may remind someone of their grandmother who lives far away. A watch may be a family heirloom passed down for generations. A necklace may tie someone to their ethnic or religious background. For University of Missouri first-year student Berkley Voss, each piece of her jewelry tells a story.
Voss has a wide selection of handmade jewelry, some made by her grandmother, Karen Voss, for various occasions. Once a year, Berkley would visit her grandmother in the summer to spend time making jewelry, which is where she learned her craft.
“We have this one specific table we always sit at, … so we have space to just put everything out on this table, and it’s just filled with all these different kinds of colors of beads and all the different kinds of wire and clasps, and just even having them around just reminds me of her,” Berkley said.
From earrings to necklaces, each piece of jewelry reminds Berkley of those fond memories that may not be replicated, as she said she will begin spending summers focusing on her academics.
The value of her beaded jewelry doesn’t stop with her grandmother; Berkley started making jewelry with her roommates. She feels the pieces she makes with her roommates hold just as much feeling as those she made with her grandmother, despite being newer.
Other students wear jewelry to remind them of people from their past. First-year student Cooper Stokes wears a watch he inherited from his late grandfather, George Almanza, who wore the watch often when Stokes was a kid. Now, Stokes wears the watch to remind him of a promise made to his grandfather.
After giving his grandfather a copy of his first short story, which his grandfather loved, they had a brief conversation before Stokes left that day.
“When I was on my way out that day, he stopped me before I left, and he grab[bed] my hand … and he said, ‘Never stop writing. Never stop writing.’” Stokes said. “And I said I promised him I would, and that’s why I wear this.”
At a glance, Stokes’ watch is simply a way to tell time. But to him, it is a way to encourage himself to keep writing and honor the promise he made to his grandfather.
Sophomore Natalie Spicer said jewelry allows her to keep a small piece of those she cares about with her, no matter how far they are. While at MU, a heart opal necklace reminds her of her grandparents, who passed it down to her on her 16th birthday.
“Last year especially, it was really hard being away from my family for the first time,” Spicer said. “So having little pieces of my family in the form of jewelry…even if I wasn’t wearing them all the time, was really nice and felt like they were kind of there with me.”
While at home in Kansas City, her Italian charm bracelet reminds her of her roommate, who gifted it to her this past Christmas. Each charm represents a unique aspect of Spicer, including a piano representing her former instrument, an eight ball, cats and other “artsy stuff” Spicer’s roommate felt she would enjoy.
For some, jewelry is more than a fashion statement; it is a reminder of a certain feeling they wish to embody. Senior Annie Woodson wears a pendant necklace with Joan of Arc, her confirmation saint, which she chose at her confirmation ceremony in the Catholic Church. Now, the pendant evokes feelings for Woodson when she puts it on.
Every piece of jewelry tells a story and connects people to other people, places and experiences. Jewelry can serve as a physical representation of the complex pieces of one’s own life story and the people who make up that story.
Each beaded bracelet, handcrafted necklace and sculpted ring not only holds powerful memories that shape one’s identity but also crafts a mosaic of one’s life and what makes them unique.
Edited by Molly Levine | mlevine@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Avery Copeland and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com
