Family heirlooms

Befrizzled · 11-05-2009, 09:01 PM

My great-aunt, who is nearing 90, wanted to see me. When I walked in, she started twisting her ring, trying to get it off her finger. She asked for my help and told me to pull it, I wouldn't hurt her. When we got it off, she told me to put in on my finger. I was floored. I had always told her beautiful it is, and she wore it every day, but she decided it was time I have it.

It's a stunning, very old piece. The center diamond came from her grandmother's (my great-great-grandmother's) earring. When she died, my great-grandmother got it and gave it to her son-in-law, who set the diamond into a ring with smaller diamonds circling the main stone. My great-grandmother died when my mother was pregnant with me, and I was named after her. My great-aunt had the ring next, and now it's mine. The jeweler was fantastic and sized it down for me within a day.

It means so much to me because it's been in the family for so long, and it was even redesigned by family. And it's sentimental because my great-aunt wore it every day and wanted to personally give it to me and see me wear it and enjoy it. It's so much more than just a pretty piece of jewelry. It's a piece of family history, a piece of my father's family history. I get teary thinking about it.

What are your cherished family heirlooms?

curliMD · 11-05-2009, 09:56 PM

Awww, that's so sweet. I love heirlooms, its such a nice way to remember family history. My mum recently gave me her first watch which is so lovely that I can't bring myself to wear it incase I lose it!!! Also I am the only daughter of an only daughter, so I have a lot of my Grandma's things coming my way (hopefully not for a good few years yet!)

NetG · 11-05-2009, 10:07 PM

I definitely have some diamonds coming from both sides of the family as the only female of my generation on one side of the family. The most meaningful thing for me is a ring my grandma designed herself. When I was about 6 I saw her wearing it and was curious because it's just very strange looking. It kind of looks like the inside of a planetarium because it's a dome sort of shape with small diamonds all over and stars engraved around them.

I actually thought it was ugly at the time, but because of my interest in it my grandma interpreted that as me loving it. I could never bring myself to tell her that I hated it and she always told me that it would be mine some day. I've been wearing it since the day after she passed away in March, and now think it's the most beautiful thing ever because of the history behind it!

I also have all the green depression glass Grandma collected at the theater near their house. I never had a clue it was worth much, just thought it was gorgeous, so it was gifted to me when I bought my house.

PartyHair · 11-05-2009, 10:22 PM

I have a storage unit full of antique dressers - I think there are seven of them in there. Six of them are pretty old - about a hundred years. One of them was my mom's parents' - they bought it in the '50s and it's oh so mid-century modern, in all its blonde wood glory.

I don't know what the hell to do with them. Unless we buy a house with like...five bedrooms, I'm just going to leave them in storage. If we buy a house with a decent-sized dining room I can use one of the tall ones for storage. Beyond that? Dunno.

LikeAustralia · 11-05-2009, 10:25 PM

How neat! My engagement ring is the diamond of my great-grandmother's earrings. The earrings were left for the first two girls born to my father's generation in the family, so that was me and my cousin. I don't know what she did with hers actually, but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with mine when I got it. I'm thrilled with it and it makes me feel like I've connected my family with my fiance's in a little sentimental way. I love wearing it and thinking about how she must've worn those earrings on really special occasions and now I get to wear it every day. I hope to pass it on to my daughter one day too.

Befrizzled · 11-05-2009, 10:28 PM

I have a lot from my mom's mom, including jewelry and diamonds, and will get more as I get older. I'm honored my grandmother chose me to pass them to. I knew from when I was young I'd be getting these things, and they didn't become mine until my grandmother died. I was always really close to my nana, and everything I have from her is strictly special occasion. My grandmother gave me so much of who I am, and I feel connected to her, with or without things.

Something is different about this ring. My dad died when I was little, and I never felt as much a part of his family. There are so many other women on that side who are close with my great-aunt. And she's not usually affectionate (nor is my dad's mom), but suddenly she is, and she's chosen me to pass this incredibly old and meaningful ring to, and she wanted to do it while she was alive. It's a piece of history from a family I never quite fit into, and it's a connection to my dad and a woman I was named after. The meaning behind my great-aunt giving it to me now so that she could live to see me wear it and enjoy it -- that's a level of affection and connection I hadn't had with that side of the family before.

Befrizzled · 11-05-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LikeAustralia

I'm thrilled with it and it makes me feel like I've connected my family with my fiance's in a little sentimental way. I love wearing it and thinking about how she must've worn those earrings on really special occasions and now I get to wear it every day. I hope to pass it on to my daughter one day too.

That's such a beautiful sentiment. My mom has offered me her engagement diamond, or a diamond from my grandmother, to use in an engagement ring. I love the idea of using an "old" diamond in a "new" setting -- connecting the past and present with a family stone is such a lovely thought.

KurlyKae · 11-05-2009, 11:17 PM

I have several treasured pieces of jewelry, though I wish I hadn't inherited them at such a young age:

Mom's engagement ring, now reset into a bezel set necklace.
Paternal GM's engagement ring. Beautiful, but fragil, so saved for special occasions.
Maternal GM's diamond necklace. Perfect match to PGM's ring, also saved for special days.
A small diamond pendant, the diamond came through MGM, then Mom, and was part of an uncle's first wife's Ering. (Actually, I have their W band's too, somewhere. But, I really like the pendant and wear it often.)

My ering is also a family stone, DH's PGM gave it to him years before we met.

I also have Mom's and what is left of PGM's china. I like to use them with my own for holidays.

shelbymustang · 11-06-2009, 12:03 AM

My eventual wedding band is from 1920 and was my great-grandmother's anniversary band. It's platinum and diamonds and I absolutely adore it; my mother thinks I'll want a band with larger diamonds but I love the feeling of family it arises. Can't wait to wear it!

We also have a houseful of antique furniture that being the only girl and one of the children who would appreciate means it's coming to me. We have an entire set of silverware from 1892 which was the 50th wedding celebration of my great grandmother. It is all fabulous, wonderful and old; I cherish old silver. It is all engraved with the dates and family names. Every Christmas I spent 3 hours polishing each piece and thinking of the time years it's been through, truly one of my favorite holiday traditions.

Lastly, we have a family book full of old photographs, love letters, diaries and more. I just love the feeling, look and warmth of family heirlooms (or anything antique for that matter). Nothing is cherished or made these days as it was back then.

SuZenGuide · 11-06-2009, 09:53 AM

What a nice thread!

My grandmother had a ring that I loved as a child -- it had a green scarab stone that I thought was exactly the color of a green Jujyfruit. She used to say she'd will it to me. She didn't actually put it in her will, but my mother gave me the ring. I have it now and enjoy remembering her.

My mother inherited a cocktail ring from my grandmother, and had the stones re-set into a more modern setting. I have that ring too. What's even more interesting is that the jeweler who re-set it is related to my fiance. Total coincidence.

I have china that belonged to both my grandmothers. I've only used one set because I don't have space for both in the dining room, but they are both very pretty.

I also have a treadle sewing machine from 1920 that belonged to my father's mother. I've never seen one like it.

And I have a TON of old Christmas ornaments -- from my parents and my grandparents. Those bring back a lot of memories.

spiderlashes5000 · 11-06-2009, 11:32 AM

We don't really have any...except that when I was pregnant w/ my first child, my mother gave me a little Baby Jesus and Mary picture to hang in the nursery...and it had been given to my mother by my grandmother when my mother was pregnant w/ me.