Look Book

52 | The Jewelr y Book Centurion ad '' W ith the beginning of each new year, I get very sentimental and reflective, especially as I have gotten older. I guess I'm just a big mush. I was raised in a world steeped in traditions where family, food, religion, and holidays were so tightly intertwined that they were impossible to parse. We were what we celebrated, and celebrated what we ate. So much of our social life was synced with food and customs, from New Year's Eve's homemade salami and capicola to Christmas Eve's seven fishes. ese rituals were passed down from relatives on "the other side," my family's quirky colloquialism for Italy, which sounded like another dimension of spacetime rather than a geographic location. ey defined so much of who I am today. Our other major tradition was giving jewelry. We were a glitzy bunch. Our family relied very heavily on precious metals and gems to mark life's significant milestones. My mother and both grandmoth- ers were all avid jewelry lovers, and I had the good fortune to be the recipient of gis and trinkets passed down. Is it coincidence or destiny that I ended up in this industry? I like to think it was a bit of both. My jewelry collection acts as an archive; a glittering, tangible record of who I am. Each time I touch a piece, it whispers its story—which is a part of my story—reminding me that the past is gone but never lost. Pieces transcend from being just accessories. ey are tactile triggers for sensations, pulling me into a moment as if it were only yesterday. e piece that speaks to me most is a gold charm bracelet given to me on my tenth birthday. I can smell my mother's perfume as we sat closely on the sofa as she explained why the first charm was a little golden cherub. It was my guardian angel, she had said. As I observed its lustre glisten in the summer sun, I could feel the weight of her love. at memory is powerful. Each charm anchors me to a very specific moment, sound, or scent. e bracelet doesn't just carry the memories—it is the memories. A Christmas tree charm is the feel of my green velvet dress and opening presents with my family. I am a teenager writing at my desk amid the din of clacking keys when I touch the typewriter charm. e palette charm conjures the aroma of turpentine and oil paint in an art classroom. Even the so, chime- like tinkling of the charms colliding stirs up vivid memories of the times I wore the bracelet. Jewelry holds such extraordinary power and is so much more than mere adornment. Locket, bracelet, watch, ring—each piece is a repository of memories, with the remarkable ability to transport you back to moments of joy, sorrow, love, and loss. Every item is a bridge between the past and present, a reminder that the essence of a moment can be captured and carried with you, not in words, but through an object of precious metals and gems. What a privilege it is to be in the business of creating these precious things. Charmed Life by Danielle Barber '' Jewelry holds such extraordinary power . . . each piece is a repository of memories . . . D A Z Z L E

• Cover