The Jellybean Necklace

by Angie Ash, Executive Vice President

I received my very first piece of jewelry when I was five years old, on my birthday. It was a necklace featuring three small plastic jellybeans in red, orange and yellow on a “gold” chain. In a photo taken that day at dinner, I’m wearing my Winnie the Pooh dress (favorite dress ever) and holding my new stuffed animal mouse, that I decided to name Honeysuckle. In the photo, I am smiling from ear to ear.

I just recently found that necklace buried in a stash of things that I held on to, and as I picked it up, so many memories washed over me. Nostalgia for childhood and the wonder of having few cares in the world was one of them, having my entire family around me another, but I also recall how SPECIAL that jellybean necklace made me feel, even as a five-year-old girl. There’s just something about receiving jewelry that makes you realize you are significant to someone, and that’s a very transformative feeling.  

Fast-forward to many years later, and I’ve been gifted with many pieces of jewelry, most of them now in the category of fine rather than costume. The first pair of earrings I received when I got my ears pierced, the first piece of jewelry my husband gave to me (not an engagement ring), the earrings I received from my parents when I graduated college, the gold and diamond baby shoe necklaces when our daughters were born. The list goes on and on.

There are so many gifts you receive that just don’t hold as much meaning as jewelry. You unbury a forgotten gift and can’t recall who may have given it to you or where you received it. The tech watch you upgraded. The mp3 player you found in your junk drawer that you meant to donate long ago.

Perhaps one of the reasons why I’ve held on to that jelly bean necklace for so long is because looking at it transports me to a special moment in time. Perhaps that’s also a reason so many people hold on to jewelry they no longer wear. Those pieces may eventually work their way into scrap gold and diamonds for you, but to your customer, at some point, they could have also been a symbolic memory of a special gift they just weren’t quite ready to let go of.

Selling jewelry is so much more than just making a sale. For the truly wealthy, buying jewelry or receiving it may not be such a significant thing. But, for the vast majority, receiving jewelry isn’t commonplace. It’s given to mark a milestone or on a special occasion. But more importantly, jewelry is a way to celebrate important people in our lives. Jewelry has the power to make someone feel beautiful, treasured, important, acknowledged. Just like my jellybean necklace did to my five-year-old self.

We’d love to hear jewelry stories shared by your customers. Share them by emailing suits@fruchtman.com.