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Original poster

Do you have “family jewels”?

41 replies

Karensbadger · 27/11/2018 21:20

We are invited to a wedding soon and the bride is a cousin of a well known family, and is wearing the family tiara. I am unfashionably impressed by this!

Do you have family jewels?

OP posts:
Hassled · 27/11/2018 21:23

I wish I did. Closest thing is a lovely rose gold bangle that belonged to my grandmother.

Actually I haven't really had too much call for tiaras in my life so far. That could all change.

pallisers · 27/11/2018 21:31

I'd love a family tiara :)

I have a very nice diamond ring that was a present to my great grandmother from her cousin at the turn of the last century. Looking forward to passing that on to one of my daughters. I also have a ring from my mother and a few bits and pieces from my grandmother.

Original poster
Karensbadger · 27/11/2018 21:46

I love jewellery with a history. Orders of Sartorial Splendour is my go-to blog!

We have no family jewellery at all. None. Life is cruel.

OP posts:
33goingon64 · 27/11/2018 21:48

Family jewels means something different in our house!

LadyPasserine · 27/11/2018 21:50

Great-great-great-grandfather had the family jewels that spilt down generations and sometimes along the way he and his heirs gave each of their wives a pearl necklace and other things.

DramaAlpaca · 27/11/2018 21:53

Not a tiara unfortunately, but I have a beautiful double string of pearls that have come to me via a few generations of my family.

UterusUterusGhali · 27/11/2018 21:55

We did. They all got nicked. :(

hugoagogo · 27/11/2018 21:56

I have a silver bracelet that was my dms, that's it.
Dh doesn't have anything afaik.

SpitefulMidLifeAnimal · 27/11/2018 22:38

33 Yes, the family jewels in this house belong to OH!

iwasaterribleperson · 27/11/2018 22:42

Have a very old battered bracelet but no one knows how old it is , or who it originally belonged to , just a vague guess that it’s 1860-1900 and from an English jeweller. Also dozens of crucifixes and crosses (catholic) that get passed down the lines . Nothing else that I know of !

VictoriaBun · 27/11/2018 22:43

I have my mothers diamond ring which was her mother's and that was given to her by someone else. I think from memory it's been dated to 1899. But nothing earlier.

Annandale · 27/11/2018 22:48

Yup, from around the 1890s when my mother's family was nouveau riche, but not many as they get split between the girls each generation and the first generation consisted of five girls.

Also because I tend to sell anything I get my hands on. It has value but fuck most of it is horrible. The boxes are in great condition because most of the stuff has clearly been worn once only 'its lovely darling you have such unusual taste'. There is one reasonably plain gold locket I wear sometimes but the fact that it's full of Victorian hair does freak me out slightly.

CherryPavlova · 27/11/2018 22:53

Nearly.
When our daughters marry they will wear a tiara that belongs to their grandmother, who was a deb in the last cohort. I’m not sure who it will pass to eventually but suspect, probably, our eldest the senior grandchild. It doesn’t really matter as it will be used by all the girls in the family. Weddings are really the only time they are used nowadays unless a white tie affair - and we don’t go to very many of those. I’ll never own it personally as I’m not blood line.

I have a few good pieces that my mother in law has given me or I’ve been bought by my husband. Plus a beautiful necklace given to me by the Chinese government when my husband did some work for them.

Sheitgeist · 27/11/2018 22:54

Yes, we have stuff that belonged to MIL. She was quite wealthy and collected jewellery. She had also inherited some. We have a safe full of stuff that no one ever looks at, nor does anyone plan to do anything with it. It just sits there.

Also my mum gave my my granny's antique amber necklace. It's quite valuable so I'm nervous about wearing it!

Fucksgiven · 27/11/2018 22:55

Had a stunning art deco platinum and diamond tiara, and a really valuable Georgian one (inherited down both sides)

Used to spend a fortune on insurance, never wore them, so sold them at auction and now kids have money for houses, and each child has some really nice pieces we had made as new smaller heirlooms

Rememberallball · 27/11/2018 22:57

I’ve a gold gate bracelet that was my mother’s, and before that my grandmother’s but on my father’s side. I also have an opal pendant on a chain that was the same grandmothers. Other family members have jewellery that was our great grandmother’s including her engagement and wedding rings, and they must be well over 100 years old as she was an old lady when she died over 40 years ago

Racecardriver · 27/11/2018 22:57

We have a tiny bit left. All of the nicer stuff was sold off to survive/taken by communists. What can you do?

blackcat86 · 27/11/2018 23:04

My MIL has collected a lot of valuable jewellery over the years that she has purchased whilst on holiday abroad or FIL has bought her for special occasions. She literally has a safe full. She does have sentimental items to like her grandmother's engagement ring. In a way she's been quite clever as it's all increased in value or has been purchased for far less than it's worth. The only annoying thing is that she constantly goes on to DD about pieces she may choose to leave her in her will - DD is 15 weeks old so if it doesn't light up and play an annoying tune she doesn't care! I do worry that this may be lorded over us a little as time goes on.

PavlovaFaith · 27/11/2018 23:07

Yes there are a few pieces that have come down the generations for significant events. I have a gold/diamond/sapphire filigree bangle which my mum passed down for my engagement. My brother was given the diamond ring to propose to my SIL. My granny still wears a beautiful emerald ring which will be the last thing to be passed on. My mum has my late grandmother's sapphire and diamond ring - three other rings were passed to the daughters-in-law as she had four sons. There are various strings of pearls which frankly I can't tell the difference between. A gold pocket watch was passed on to my brother for his wedding, it was my late grandfather's so meant a great deal. I love them all and hope to see them being passed down to my children and my DB and SILs children.

allupsidedown · 27/11/2018 23:09

I've got a few lovely necklaces, strings of pearls and lots of wedding and engagement rings from previous generations that have been handed down.
My gran's engagement ring is engraved with the date that my Granda went off to fight in WW2. They got engaged in the morning and off he went in the afternoon. He returned uninjured after 6 years service and they had 60+ years of wedded bliss. I wear that ring every day as it is beautiful and I miss them very much.
I sold broaches/hat pins that I knew I would never wear but have kept the rest.

Original poster
Karensbadger · 28/11/2018 21:18

Fucksgiven that must have been so hard to part with! Do you know where they went?

OP posts:
Original poster
Karensbadger · 28/11/2018 21:19

Racecardriver what on earth happened?

OP posts:
californiascreaming · 28/11/2018 21:27

Nothing of monetary value but I got married this year and I now wear my mum's plain gold band. Love it!

thenettyprofessor · 28/11/2018 21:30

Yes I'm sitting on it Grin

BillyAndTheSillies · 28/11/2018 21:51

My DH's wedding band was his grandad's and BIL's wedding band was their granny's.
Like a few other PP's, MIL has a safe full of jewellery that she's collected over the years which have been divided up amongst the DIL's in the will - she has four sons.

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