Luxury and timeless items that bring you joy

[Traveltart]

What luxury or good quality items have you received or bought for yourself that you think stand the test of time and bring you joy?

Big birthday coming up so I plan to drop heavy hints to DH and also treat myself over the course of the year.

These can be wearable items or home goods and gadgets. They can be expensive (up to low thousands) or much less.

They can be items that finally made you feel like a grown up but that bring you a rush of wonder when you use them.

I’m after quality or beauty or practicality rather than anything super fashionable.

Sadly budget won’t stretch to car or holiday home! And I don’t have the capacity for more pets. I’m good at coming up with experiences gifts so it’s just cold, hard, material goods I’m after!

Yes some of it does look modern. For a while she did work for potteries, but they weren't her designs. That's why they are much cheaper.

I don't wear jewellery or watches and would be scared to wear a Rolex - too many muggers these days. For me, what makes me smile is my small collection of potted Japanese maples (acers). So much beauty and every one different. The most expensive one was well established and a few hundred pounds. I plan to get several more.

@SophysWatch what a marvellous thought linking perfumes to how different years would have smelt - and why on earth did I never think of this?! I shall wear my L’heure bleu with a different understanding now!

I popped into the jewellers on my trip to London to try on a range of Cartier watches - gradually narrowing down which I’d like for my big birthday. There’s a price increase coming soon - does anyone know how much they usually hike things?

Ah now that would be something I would love, my neighbours have some beauties but they don’t seem to thrive in my garden.

I have some beautiful old original perfume advertisements from magazines, 1930s from Sketch for instance. I've had them framed and hung around the house. Another way of feeling like you're going back in history to a time when luxury really was luxury. Professional framing makes all the difference.

I've got original costume jewellery from the 40s/50s/60s and hunted down magazine adverts for the exact items, which I framed.

A quality cashmere twinset my daughter. (inlaw) bought me about 15 years ago, worn regularly and not a bobble to be seen

This is exactly the sort of thing I'd do! How wonderful

Which watches did you shortlist?

I’m sure when my husband bought my Cartier tank a few years ago in 2020 it was £2500 and they are now £3500.

@Lulumush Ive decided on the tank must watch, large face with a steel bracelet. Just like @ithinkilikethislittlelife ’s. It looks to be very versatile. I had a good try on of a few different ones over the weekend - much as I adored some of the diamond ones, I think I’ll feel very comfortable wearing the Tank Must as an everyday watch. There’s a price rise coming soon, so I’ll need to go to purchase next week.

Ooh lovely. When we bought mine we had the kids with us so couldn’t take advantage of the champagne/wine they offered. My advice, don’t take kids with you 😝. It’s a fab watch and you’re right, it’s super versatile.

Ooh they are lovely and I bought some very high end tools for a friend’s birthday. She usually buys cheap ones and then wonders why they break in a year or two! She mentioned the other day that they are surprisingly still going strong and I felt like saying ‘yes that’s because they cost £££’ but didn’t!

Oh that reminds me! Really good knives (I like Wusthof Classic). Make such a difference daily if you like to cook.

I can’t find the previous poster who suggested an experience eg a concert but that’s a good idea too.

Here is a very random experience for anyone who finds themselves in New Zealand. You MUST visit the geothermal baths and saunas run by a Maori tribe. It was an exquisite experience and not that expensive by UK standards at all. You just mooch around in hot and cold and ice pools and different saunas, surrounded by piped sounds of native birds with a gorgeous open air view of the lake.

www.wai-ariki.co.nz/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23149040349&gbraid=0AAAAApt_wpQ2MtK3oMvyZUM6iFMFupH9J&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9OfK596flAMVuJtQBh11AhLPEAAYASAAEgLI4fD_BwE

Can anyone find me a great cocktail ring? Prefer teal, Samaria, soft green and blue tones but will consider anything if it’s beautiful!

Needs to be under £5k and preferably a lot less.

Online auction sites don’t seem that much cheaper than retail. Any steals out there?

My LV Neverfull. It’s a great travel bag and fits so much in.
Mine is old now and one thing I didn’t like was that it was really easy to pickpocket. The newer ones might have a zip ?
I bought a big transparent zipped plastic make up case in Boots and use it to store my phone and a smaller bag in the Neverfull.

@Traveltart have you looked at Dinny Hall for a cocktail ring? They have a few in aquamarine, sapphire and emerald which would tick the box for your soft blue and greens?

There's also Augustine Jewels on Wolf & Badger, and I've found some beautiful gemstone rings on Etsy.

This is beautiful and way under budget and I can vouch for her work, it's stunning: https://gemsheddesigns.com/products/aquamarine-colett-set
These are the shades I'm considering, for one day" https://www.instagram.com/p/DSjXYdmEYnC/?hl=en&img_index=1 with small diamonds on each side - she's quoted 6000 Aus dollars, as an example.

@SophysWatch like other other poster, I hadn't ever really thought about the dates that perfumes were launched, and my favourites scents are from 1921 and 1932, so clearly, I'm an old fashioned diva at heart!

That was me @Traveltart - I adore a classical concert. Ballet is also fabulous, I recently saw Mayerling at the Royal Ballet and Opera House which was spectacular (full orchestra too so it's like being at a classical concert.)

@AnotherNewNotebook "like other other poster, I hadn't ever really thought about the dates that perfumes were launched, and my favourites scents are from 1921 and 1932, so clearly, I'm an old fashioned diva at heart!"

I'm thinking Chanel - No 5 and 1932???! The former is a favourite of mine. I also love Chanel Deauville, I planted to first wear it in Deauville itself but never got on with going and instead first wore it in Brussels so now I can only associate it with there!

My TV - go big, don't skimp on the streaming services - no regrets

Chanel No 5, yep! It's a scent I've grown into. I started wearing Allure aged 20, then Chanel No 5 L'eau and then when I headed into my 40s, all of a sudden No 5 was just perfection!

My other favourite is Comete, one of the Chanel Les Exclusifs, which is inspired by Chanel's Bijoux de Diamants diamond collection from 1932 so although it's a newer addition, apparently it was originally created back then. It's beyond glorious, definitely has a nod to No 5 and is one of those delicious scents that changes as the day goes on.

I’m embracing all genres of cultural pursuits here… agree @SophysWatch that going to the ballet or opera is a must do - despite the price. Seeing Carlos Acosta live (- few years ago now) was a dream.

Also agree @mumofoneAloneandwell about the TV. After having one for 15 years which at the time was state of the art, we upgraded last year to a huge (for us) Samsung. Sound bar. We have several streaming services but the thing I like watching the most on it is Race Across the World. Central Asia in full, almost 3D colour is amazing.

For the Chanel perfume experts, I hadn’t clocked there were so many new varieties and went slightly crazy on a recent stop over at HK airport. The Les Eaux range, named after her favourite travel destinations, is fabulous. I forgot which one smells a bit of my favourite fruit, the feijoa, but without being sickly.

Rolex. Have a few, one bought from inheritance, and the others bought by me for me as milestone markers. I have quite a particular/peculiar relationship with them so they do feature quite heavily in my life.

Diamond stud earrings in platinum mounts - worn them every day for over 12 years and they're the only earrings i wear. Sentimental.

Stephen Einhorn jewellery (in silver) - my mum bought me one of this rings for my 18th, then a necklace for my 21st as "lifetime" jewellery.
Since then I've inherited her S.E's, bought my own, and my partner bought me a ring for one of our anniversaries so i have a collection now - love them all, and the ring and necklace I still wear all the time - im in my late 40s now.

Love scent, but tend to wear mens, and prefer Creed and Penhaligons and have a LV card holder in navy Epi that i've had for donkeys years.

Think thats it for me on the luxury front, other than the aboves i'm a really plain dresser and don't really look like a candidate for it.

I'd like to get some art at some point - but photographic above anything else. Would love a Gregory Crewdson, Dorothea Lange or Mary Ellen Mark one day.