Back to school shopping is always an eye opener for me. Although I have no children of my own, I am surrounded by nephews (and honorary nieces and nephews) who look to "Aunt Dana" for fashion advice when it comes to the back to school wardrobe--especially in the timepiece/watch and jewelry accessories department. And what always surprises me most is the high cost of fashion jewelry made from nothing more than base metals and plastic "gems". (And I'm not talking about the high quality lines of costume jewelry that are built to last.) My nieces roll their eyes as I exclaim, "Are you kidding me? At work (Jewelry Television and JTV.com) we sell .925 sterling silver with genuine gemstones for the same price as this hunk of metal and plastic!" After a calculated silence, my nieces (who are well-practiced in getting what they want from Aunt Dana) inevitably turn their big brown/blue/green eyes to mine and say, "Oh, really? Could you really get that for me, Aunt Dana? You're the best! How soon can I have it?" This is followed by the ritual "I'll see what I can do," and the promise that they will pay for it from their allowance, yada, yada, yada....Of course, nothing beats the day when the jewelry arrives, and my nieces #1) fall in love with genuine gemstones and precious metals, #2) learn the value of a dollar and how to shop to make the most for their money, and #3) hug my neck.
Well, there is one thing that beats that back-to-school moment. Just recently I was marvelling at my soon-to-be 21 year old niece, Hope, who is a beautiful young woman with a flair for style that I can take no credit for whatsoever. I noticed she was wearing a pair of sterling silver and turquoise earrings I had given her for either her 13th or 14th birthday. (I was really pleased to see her wearing those earrings because, no offense to Hope, she is jewelry snob--I taught her well, don't ya know?) She grinned at me and asked me if I remembered giving those to her for her birthday so many years ago. I said, "Well, duh. Of course I remember. I'm happy that you remember." She gave me a hug, just like she did 7 or 8 years ago when I first gave the earrings to her, and I realized all over again how special the gift of fine jewelry can be. It's so much more than something cute to wear back to school, but rather a lasting legacy of memories captured in precious metals and gemstones designed to last several lifetimes. And to me, that's money well spent.
JTV.com Top 5 Watch and Jewelry Picks for Back to School 2011
(according to my nieces and nephews)
1. Best Friends Rings - Item numbers JMO880, JMO881, JMO882, JTV.com Price $15.00. These two interlocking rings are perfect for BFF's! Just wear one and give the other to your bestie.
2. Men's Lucien Piccard Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch - JTV.com Price $99.99, Retail? 495.00!
3. Bella Luce Sterling Silver Peace Necklace - JTV.com Clearance Price $18.41, save 35%!
4. Cool Multigem Ring Watch - JTV.com Price only $12.00!
5. Whimsical Beads and Charms from Green Girl Studios on JTV.com. My sweet nieces wanted to share their jewerly "connection" with their friends, so they loved the enchanting charms, pendants, and beads from Jewel School and Green Girl Studios. These handcrafted beads are perfect for them to string a silk chord through, throw on a fastener, and voila! A handmade necklace for their bestie. Plus, they loved the video on how these handcrafted beads are made. You can view the Green Girl Studios for Jewel School video here.
Tell me, what's the most you've paid for base metal jewelry accessories during your back to school shopping this year?
Best of luck surviving the back to school rush!
- Dana Sebby, JTV.com Community Manager
