An erstwhile acquaintance of mine once told me she was terribly fond of sterling silver jewellery. She preferred it to gold. That came as a surprise to me. I subsequently learned however that sterling silver has its peculiar allure. Today for example I was prompted to sport two of my own sterling silver pieces in lieu of the usual gold items. The pieces I chose are both made by Links of London.
Links of London is owned by two Greeks but their Head Office is in London, England. I was introduced to the company over a decade ago at Holt Renfrew & Co. when visiting Montréal. It is part of my customary routine when traveling to buy something as a memento of the visit. Though I would be inclined to describe the penchant as a mere excuse to shop, I have to admit that upon recounting this particular tale the custom derives a legitimacy. Not every article I have bought when traveling has proven to be memorable. Once when alone on Cape Cod I mistakenly bought a synthetic creation of some animal. It was just a cheap ornament but it hadn't any enduring feature. This is not to say that jewellery is something I actively seek to retain in my collection. Indeed I have a tradition of getting rid of stuff, switching to new items. Sometimes the older items - like cars - are just introductory; but more often the rejected items were of good quality but had exhausted their attraction.
The rings I wore today were part of a larger image. Unhesitatingly I acknowledge it is seldom I wear anything but casual clothing. As I like to quip, "They fit!" What I had on today was predominantly black (reflecting my limited choice of colours - white, black and dark blue - all of which works with grey hair I find). The black invited sterling silver. At first I hesitated to adorn myself with any jewellery. On reflection I responded to my prevailing waggishness. I was only headed to the grocery store and car wash but I had it in my mind that the mundane ventures necessitated a trinket. This symptom is not one which troubles everyone. Indeed most people - especially men - willingly bear the deprivation of jewellery. I on the other hand am traditionally not so inclined.
Because I am attracted to the heaviness of metal (whether jewellery or more practical artistic creations such as wrought iron fences, bronze sculpture or bespoke brass paperweights), sterling silver has not ordinarily had much attraction for me. The exception might be the creations of Tiffany & Co. Their stuff combines singular weight and novel expression. I have their sterling silver key ring shown below. I have also seen a friend's ring (also shown) which has a similar density.
The allure of sterling silver is for me as much about the quality of my temperament as the substance of the metal. Sterling silver affords a more spirited expression than gold, an association with the lighter side of life, decidedly less unequivocal. If I am to be entirely truthful, the sporting of bling has a direct connection to my mood. When I am preoccupied with obligation, the prospect of wearing anything as trifling as jewellery approaches repugnance. It would be as superfluous as having a celebratory cocktail in the heat of an argument. Some things just don't work together! The further admission is that when - as today - I was arising cheerfully from a recent history of unqualified duty, the persuasion of innocent debauchery was greater.
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