My most precious items of jewellery – what are yours? By Jodie Houghton
If you have time to read this article, I hope it makes you smile as much as I have whilst reminiscing and then writing it.
I’ll set the scene: It’s Christmas Day ( also my birthday) and I had reached double digits - the big 10! All I wanted for my birthday was a 9ct gold Trojan onyx ring ( yes very specific I know) but everyone had one and I really loved them so much.
Cut to present opening, my mother was a single parent and I’m not ashamed to say we really didn’t have a lot of money, I was always well loved, looked after, clean and tidy but I didn’t have lots of new shiny things, and I certainly didn’t have any jewellery.
My gramp, who treated me like another daughter, would always make sure I never missed out on any “dad” experiences, he was always there, in fact I can’t ever remember a time when I ever questioned why I didn’t have a dad - it just wasn’t a thing for me (I was very lucky).
My gramp told me there was a special present under the tree and I saw a little box and instantly thought, he’s bought me the gold ring!! I ripped open the paper to reveal the little silver heart ring in the photo above. I loved it but I was a little disappointed as it wasn’t the one I wanted. My gramp said ‘do you like it my babe?’, and I cuddled him so tight and replied ‘yes gramp I love it, thank you’. I wore it all day, and the other ring became a distant memory, I didn’t care anymore because this one was perfect.
After dinner we celebrated my birthday - like we did every year. I’d like to point out that at 1pm on Christmas Day we don’t do Christmas any longer. It’s now birthday mode and everyone had to celebrate with me!
Just before the birthday cake arrived in the living room for me to blow out the candles, my gramp said, ‘I can see another present in the tree can you go and look, I think it’s for your gran’ ….. It wasn’t for my gran, it had my name on it, and – guess what? Yes, you guessed right! It was the gold ring that I had hoped for all along!
The smile on his face was just perfect, I can see him now, grinning because he had caught me out. I don’t need to tell you anymore as I’m sure you can imagine my excitement!
Both of those rings are my most precious pieces of jewellery and I wouldn’t swap them for all the diamonds in the world.
My gramp is the handsome man in the background of the photo with the bright ginger hair.
If you have time, or want to, I’d love to see your precious jewellery and its story.
By Jodie Houghton
(Photograph courtesy of Jodie Houghton)