Feisty Repartee

From Glitter to Shine

This week the darling, dynamic, and demystifying divas are conversing about those little glittering, sparkling things that make men roll their eyes and most women squeal and sigh with delight. That’s right, the goods, little tokens of affection, the bling-bling, jewelry.

Most, but not all, women like diamonds and gold.

In my mother’s homeland of Vietnam, banks and paper money were not to be trusted when she was growing up. The measure of a family’s prosperity was the gold and jewels with which the women were adorned. Further, the manner in which the family saved money was the acquisition of more gold. To this day, my mother frequents the Asian jewelry stores of Houston and Belaire to acquire more gold. There the gold bracelets, rings, and necklaces are made of 18kt gold and are sold by weight.

In addition to symbols of wealth and prestige, expensive baubles often signify the love and adoration of another.

When I was in high school, I always longed to have some cute guy ask me to wear his high school ring or letter jacket. It never happened for me, but I dearly wanted to be recognized as belonging with someone. In college and law school girls all around me were getting engaged and planning their weddings and their lives. Those engagement rings were everywhere. I have to admit, I got caught up in it and wanted it for myself as well.

Women are often given a bad reputation for their seemingly collective obsession of gold and jewels.

I once knew a woman of means. She was not born that way, but after first hubby was killed in an oil rig mishap, she came into a rather large settlement. As she was still very young (in her twenties) and quite attractive when she was widowed, she made something of a career of marrying, then burying or divorcing wealthy men.

Yes, she was client of mine years ago. After burying two husbands and divorcing two others before age fifty, she decided she had accumulated quite enough to keep her comfortable for the duration of her life and was no longer interested in marriage. I handled one estate and two divorces for her, as well as a myriad of other more personal business.

After the second divorce, she called and asked me to re-do her will. I did. When she came in to review and sign it, she flashed a beautiful diamond and ruby bracelet at me. I remarked at its beauty and playfully inquired if she had a new suitor. She tossed her bleach blonde hair back, looked at me with cold blue eyes, and stated: “No honey, that’s a to me, for me, from me. I am my own Sugar, now.”

It was not for me to sit in judgment of her. I did not then and do not now. She was a character and simply used what life had thrown her to her best advantage. I recall several times over the years when she had more reflective moments she spoke quite lovingly and longingly of her first husband and high school sweetheart who had been killed days before their second anniversary. Around her neck, she wore the plain and thin gold wedding band he had given her.

No matter whether they represent wealth or love, our fascination and need to acquire jewelry will always continue.

For more insight and enlightenment regarding the topic du jour, please visit the lady divas: Sadie, Kathy, and Silk, our guest Diva-esque friend, Phoenix, and the Men’s Club: The Wizard, Phin, and Puffy. Please note, our beloved Zonker has retired from the club for the moment and we welcome the interesting and ever well-spoken Maximum Leader of Naked Villainy to the Men’s Club fold.

Update: A good friend and reader is also a very talented and creative artist with jewelry. Go here.

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