If there was a fire in your house and you only had 1 minute to save anything, what would it be?
Aside from my handsome giant 6’6 Irish boyfriend, who I am hoping is conscious and can get his own rig out of the house (imagine trying to carry a human this size when you are 5’3), I would run hard and fast to my vintage crystal jewellery bowl. Being a jeweller, I obviously have many precious jewels, but none more so than this ring
My grandma Pearl left me this ring when she passed away. I was only a little tracker then, being a jeweller wasn’t even on my radar ( I was probably more focused on becoming the Pink Power Ranger), and I had zero idea it would become my most valued possession.
First glance, it’s a pretty gold ring with some sweet geometric fan detailing, but that is only a smidge of what makes this ring soooooo rad. Here’s the rest…..
This beauty is the first ring my grandad ever gave my grandma. They would have been sweethearts in love, Valentine’s Day was coming around and my grandad was getting his mooshy lovey dove on. He picked this ring, had “My Valentine” stamped on the inside of the band and hand-engraved himself “To Pearl, Love Alan”.
Years of my grandma wearing this ring and now years of me doing the same, have worn the engravings a little bit, but you can still see it (with Coke bottle glasses and a Pop Eye squint).
My granparents lived in Wangaratta in a two-story house on a big block of land that required a ride-on mower, my fav activity to do with my grandad. They had plum trees which my grandma turned into jam, an old caravan full of wool for her knitting, a shed full of tools and bottled snakes where my grandad made and fixed EVERYTHING, an old blue Kombi camper for trips to their farm and a cupboard full of chocolates and treats my grandma would sneakily give to my sister and I, followed by “don’t tell your mum”. Grandma was more commonly known as ‘Boss’, cemented by the mug she drank her tea from with the same name. They were the type of grandparents you literally dreamed of as kids and I miss them dearly.
All of these blissfully sweet memories flood back to me when I wear this ring. My fortunate childhood, time with my family and knowing I was supremely loved, even though I was a turd of a child ( ask any of my relatives, they will vouch for my turdiness).
Wearing this ring nearly every single day on the same finger on my right hand, even though it is way too big for that finger, but it doesn’t feel at home anywhere else, I am reminded of what’s really important to this little jeweller and that my grandma is always with me. She keeps me in check and makes sure I am okay. My hand actually feels naked if I don’t have it on, followed by a frantic panic to try and remember where it could be.
Hands down, it is the one possession I have, that would devastate me if I lost it. Most other things could burn in that fire and I would replace them with time, but this ring could never be replaced and its value to me is more than all my other possessions put together.
I love how jewellery stirs up all them feels.
So now tell me, what would you save?
Amy Rad Jewellery 