Silver and Turquoise Love Affair

Among my many visual loves, silver turquoise jewelry ranks high on the list.

I have always loved the way the turquoise complements the silver. 

Most of these are the work of American Indian artists, and I also love the symbols and designs on the silver that many times frame the stone(s).

 

This love affair with turquoise jewelry isn't something new.......when I was a teenager silver was "in" and that was my jewelry of choice.  In a trendy town near where I grew up there was this beautiful artsy store that sold silver jewelry......some plain, some with different stones, but most of it with turquoise.  I can remember many birthdays asking for something from the store, and I still have some of the pieces that I wore in high school that came from there.......still fashionable today.

Although my mom rasied me in the crafty era of bangle bracelets and 60's fashion, even she had some silver bracelets and rings from her past.  This sterling bracelet is one of my favorites, it was a wedding gift to the bridesmaids in my Aunt's wedding, just a simple etched bangle with their name and the wedding date  inscribed on the inside. It has become one of my standard favorites to wear.

And there were other pieces from her past, I never actually saw her wear them but she had told me they were bought during trips out west before she got married to my dad.  After she passed away I had a custom bracelet made with some pictures of her, past and present.  I wore it quite often for awhile, it brought me comfort

At some point I put my silver jewelry away in favor of gold, at the time it seemed more "mature" and more popular..........My engagement and wedding rings are gold, and I have a good sized collection of costume jewelry in gold tones.  There were the occasional better pieces, but I didn't have the budget for a lot of really good stuff.  Besides this was about the time I was raising babies and toddlers, and much of the bling took a back seat.  For a long time I only got as far as earrings everyday.  As much as I admire pretty jewelry, I never really desired diamonds or fancy necklace gifts from my husband, it just wasn't my lifestyle. I always loved my silver turquoise,though......it was so much more personal to me.  Eventually I started to wear it more, especially in the summer months.

Enter my cowgirl era, or mid-life crises, or whatever I can pin it on, one day the silver came out of hiding and the gold was banished to the closet.  Around this time there was no stopping my obsession, I fell head over heels ga ga for the look.  Of course, that didn't actually mean I went out of the house wearing it.  I was still not ready to go all out and flaunt the mega-bracelet look and heavy necklaces.......I had had instances of bracelets getting caught and bent doing barnwork (what was i thinking?) and not only that, in my mind  I was  stuck on the fact that the mom's around here didn't really flaunt a lot of jewelry, especially the stuff that I wanted to wear............

 

Then I hit the big 5 0, and I guess ever since I've been more likely to go out with my beloved sterling on me.........one of these days i'll go all out and wear everything with my good cowboy boots, and maybe, just maybe I'll even throw my cowboy hat on.  Not to the high school football games, mind you.......but a lot more often then I used to.  My teenage daughter has assured me I don't look like an old lady who's trying to look hip, thank goodness for 50 being the new 30, or whatever it is being said about the surge of us baby boomers addressing the aging issue.

You're as young as you (let yourself) feel.....................Yee Haw!!!  Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for catching up with me!!!