How I wear my memories: jewelry from around the world
I never thought I was much of a souvenir-collector on my travels—and then while completing my ABCs of travel, I noticed my jewelry case. About half of my pieces were foraged from my mom’s 1970s jewelry box, and the rest were bought abroad—in markets, boutiques and those hallowed halls of Galleries Lafayette.
It’s easily the most valuable thing that I carry with me—nothing is very expensive, but it’s all irreplaceable. A few of my favorite around-the-world finds:
The summer after my freshman year at university, I went to Italy for 10 crazy days with a group of high school friends. My friend Jenna and I decided that with her one semester of college Italian and my knowledge of French (they’re both romance languages, right?), we were practically fluent in Italian. I picked up these green glass earrings from a tiny shop on a back street in Florence where we struck up a conversation about life, love and travel with the owner and his wife. These are easily my favorite earrings—they go with just about everything—and every time I wear them, I think about getting perfectly lost in the cobbled Florence streets.
After ooh-ing and aah-ing over the window display up the street from our Paris apartment, my mom and I tucked in from the cold and each chose a bracelet in our favorite colors: mine with hues of blue and green, my mom with reds and purples. Flash forward a few years, and I was wandering the Marais after a falafel when I spotted the same store. I ducked inside, showed the owner my bracelet and started chatting with him while choosing a new ring.The man proudly told me that he knew every piece in his store from start to finish: his wife made the bracelets, his best friend made the rings and he even knew the sheep that gave the wool for the scarves! He was getting close to retirement, and considering moving back to Turkey. We jointly lamented that there weren’t enough stores like his in Paris anymore. (Pilsbury, 64 Rue Vieille du Temple)
When my Welsh friend came back to Nice for a quick visit, we executed the classiest sightseeing day possible: lunch with a view at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, drinks at Le Negresco, an al fresco dinner and bottle of wine in Old Nice and a wander around the Saturday night market. After eying the many adorable pieces at the Les Delices de Candice stand all summer, I finally indulged in this charming ring-and-earring set.
These handmade colored necklaces were all the rage in Melbourne last year. After reading a piece in Australian Vogue, it seemed I couldn’t walk down a street in South Yarra without spotting one in varying hues. This ultra-flourescent version seemed just right for an electric Australian summer. (Emily Green Etsy store)
When I spotted my boss wearing a necklace sporting these “teeth,” I asked her where she found them—and she pointed to my artist/glassblower/jewelry-maker co-worker. I immediately asked Kirstin to make a set of earrings for me, and I love the neutral-but-classy color combination she came up with—and I’m also proud to support an up-and-coming artist! (These were a one-off piece as Kirstin puts together a fabulous collection, but contact me and I can put you in touch with Kirstin if you’re interested in having her make you some gorgeous jewelry!)
