Friday, April 29, 2011

Silver and Turquoise Love Affair

Among my many visual loves, silver turquoise jewelry ranks high on the list.




I have always loved the way the turquoise complements the silver. 





Most of these are the work of American Indian artists, and I also love the symbols and designs on the silver that many times frame the stone(s).



 

This love affair with turquoise jewelry isn't something new.......when I was a teenager silver was "in" and that was my jewelry of choice.  In a trendy town near where I grew up there was this beautiful artsy store that sold silver jewelry......some plain, some with different stones, but most of it with turquoise.  I can remember many birthdays asking for something from the store, and I still have some of the pieces that I wore in high school that came from there.......still fashionable today.




Although my mom rasied me in the crafty era of bangle bracelets and 60's fashion, even she had some silver bracelets and rings from her past.  This sterling bracelet is one of my favorites, it was a wedding gift to the bridesmaids in my Aunt's wedding, just a simple etched bangle with their name and the wedding date  inscribed on the inside. It has become one of my standard favorites to wear.




And there were other pieces from her past, I never actually saw her wear them but she had told me they were bought during trips out west before she got married to my dad.  After she passed away I had a custom bracelet made with some pictures of her, past and present.  I wore it quite often for awhile, it brought me comfort





At some point I put my silver jewelry away in favor of gold, at the time it seemed more "mature" and more popular..........My engagement and wedding rings are gold, and I have a good sized collection of costume jewelry in gold tones.  There were the occasional better pieces, but I didn't have the budget for a lot of really good stuff.  Besides this was about the time I was raising babies and toddlers, and much of the bling took a back seat.  For a long time I only got as far as earrings everyday.  As much as I admire pretty jewelry, I never really desired diamonds or fancy necklace gifts from my husband, it just wasn't my lifestyle. I always loved my silver turquoise,though......it was so much more personal to me.  Eventually I started to wear it more, especially in the summer months.




Enter my cowgirl era, or mid-life crises, or whatever I can pin it on, one day the silver came out of hiding and the gold was banished to the closet.  Around this time there was no stopping my obsession, I fell head over heels ga ga for the look.  Of course, that didn't actually mean I went out of the house wearing it.  I was still not ready to go all out and flaunt the mega-bracelet look and heavy necklaces.......I had had instances of bracelets getting caught and bent doing barnwork (what was i thinking?) and not only that, in my mind  I was  stuck on the fact that the mom's around here didn't really flaunt a lot of jewelry, especially the stuff that I wanted to wear............


 

Then I hit the big 5 0, and I guess ever since I've been more likely to go out with my beloved sterling on me.........one of these days i'll go all out and wear everything with my good cowboy boots, and maybe, just maybe I'll even throw my cowboy hat on.  Not to the high school football games, mind you.......but a lot more often then I used to.  My teenage daughter has assured me I don't look like an old lady who's trying to look hip, thank goodness for 50 being the new 30, or whatever it is being said about the surge of us baby boomers addressing the aging issue.


















You're as young as you (let yourself) feel.....................Yee Haw!!!  Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for catching up with me!!!

8 comments:

  1. You are as young as you feel... Love that! I turned 40 this past year but somehow still feel like a kid. Your jewelry is beautiful! I love the combination of silver and turquoise. I pick it up whenever we travel. Not sure why. Must be the only time I get to look at jewelry, haha! Your charm bracelet is a special piece to have.

    I'm having fun looking back at your posts. Off to see more!

    Enjoy the weekend!
    XO

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  2. hey! i cannot believe how much we have in common, thanks for commenting on my blog. my hubby's kids are in atlanta as is a cousin. my mom's folks all hale from mass and vermont, and i looove new england. the weather is a bit much to bear in the winter though. i sure hope you find that piece of land! i am now following you! :)

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  3. Saw you over at Brenda's blog. I had to come visit. I love your blog and I will be back. I am envying your big back porch!

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  4. Hello!
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog..it's nice 'meeting' you! I've had fun going through some of your posts and I love the fact that you have a horse. I used to have horses back up in Canada AND I used to have a store where one of the things I sold was sterling silver and turquoise jewelry. The lady I bought my jewelry from dealt directly with the Zuni, Hope and Navajo down in New Mexico and Arizona...we had some BEAUTIFUL stuff both large and small. Funny thing is...I never did buy anything much for myself and I loved it! Now I'm kicking myself. I LOVE your collection and I love the bracelet you had made with pictures of your Mom. I lost my Mom in 83. I LOVE your rose bush...it's HUGE! As you've seen in my last few posts we're working on our new garden's here on the farm...hopefully this week I'll be ordering my David Austin roses. I used to have quite a few in the city but we're starting from scratch here...a blank slate I guess you could say. I'd LOVE to know what kind of rose you're growing...it looks like a rambler but they don't usually bloom more than once a season so I doubt if it's one. Anyway..what ever it is it's gorgeous. I'm going to have fun tomorrow going through more of your past posts. I hope you have a wonderful week!
    Maura :)

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  5. I adore silver and have worn nothing but for 20 years! I even had my wedding rings done in platinum! You have some gorgeous pieces, just beautiful!
    Just remember not to wear it while doing barn work :)
    xo, misha

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  6. Wow, you have a beautiful collection! I would wear every piece. :) Love it all. Thanks for stopping by my blog, drop by again soon.
    Bridget

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