Great jewellery is extremely hard to find.
It has only now hit me why my mother and her friends got all theirs custom made
whenever they went back to Egypt. Obviously getting anything custom made in
Egypt doesn't come with the same price tag is it would in the western world.
I have been in the market for a ring that I
can wear forever, look at daily that puts a smile on face. This has been an
incredibly difficult challenge of late. Finding something timeless is always a
struggle due to my obvious changes, both emotional and appearance in terms of
clothing; finding yourself and growing up is never easy, if anything its
boring, dull, and a waste of time, but necessary. Our ostentatious lifestyles
from clothing to going out, at times takes a halt whilst we reluctantly contemplate
what we are ACTUALLY doing in our lives.
Usually when thoughts so inappropriate like
these enter my mind I go through what i see as a mid-mid-life crisis, longing
for the days when life was simpler, assessing who I really am. This always results
in me throwing out half my wardrobe, self-deprecation, followed by an intense
few days with Oprah and reading self-help books, just to study the human
condition....obviously.
It's a constant battle to better yourself,
finding your essence and what you want from the world and what the world can
give you in return. So let me manipulate this whole situation and turn 'finding
our true selves’ into fashion.
Fashion is about what we like, we represent
ourselves by what we wear, indicating our likes and dislikes. (We'll keep it
simple and just keep it emotional, so I will refrain from commenting on class,
status, etc etc) so what happens when you don't like yourself? Or when you don't
know who you are? How do you represent that? It is then when I meditate
unclothed, and listen to myself- and no, this doesn't take a few hours, this is
a transition that takes weeks of intense thought, avoiding people and truly
becoming your own best friend. So the next step is to, like a snake, shed your
old skin aka get rid of anything that you associate your old self with, making
way for the new you.
The one thing that I have never thrown out
though is my jewellery. Why? Because of its sentimental value. For instance I
wear a necklace that previously was all the gold I received from family and
family friends when I was born. (It's a cultural thing; you're given gold when
you're born, rings, pedants, etc etc. I guess frankincense and myrrh died with
Jesus) so at the age of 16 my mother took all my gold and melted it to create a
necklace with a pendant. I barely see it and at times forget it’s there, but haven’t
taken it off since i was 16. It is the most in-offence piece of jewellery I
have compared to my obnoxious Vivienne Westwood costume jewellery (which I
love). So now I need a ring that I can wear and treasure as much as I do my
necklace.
The good news is that I came across a ring
that I have completely fallen in love with. From its name to how it's made, to
its overall look. And here it is.
At the SHOWstudio at Motcomb Street I truly
fell in love with this Jennifer Corker piece of art. Inspired by mourning rings
worn by the Victorians, commemorating the death of a loved one, this ring
represents my past deaths and will represent my future deaths. A little morbid
for you faint hearted, but there are always life altering changes, good and
bad, that are the cause of small death within all of us.
My mourning ring harbours everything I
love. Sentimental memories and traditions of the past, that have been forgotten
about in our modern day lives, as if resurrected to remind us of the past. Not
to mention it is made of gold and has a silk centre. The silk has the luxurious
sense of being incredibly delicate, but is surrounded by the solid gold
outlining it and protecting it. The best metaphor of myself.
Unlike most clothing, jewellery is always
timeless. There is a reason why they are passed on as heirlooms, admired by
many represents bonds, no matter how simple or over the top. It represents the
person wearing it, and I assure you each piece of jewellery you have has a
story to tell about your past and will undoubtedly be part of your future.
Clothes come and go but jewellery is
forever.
-Andrew
