My Legacy Jewellery - Life, Love, Loss & Raspberry Jam

by Sarah Stoner

The idea that something can last forever is not a gimmick. Memories and stories can last for generations. Told, re-told, adapted and changed as time trundles on and the years pass by.

I have so many fond memories of my grandparents…. The nursery rhymes that would make me laugh. Their personal war stories of WWII. The way my granny always smelled of Nivea face cream and my papa’s strong handshake would make the bones in my hand crunch. How there was always homemade jam in the cupboard and frozen, handpicked raspberries in the freezer.

She always wore a gold pendant, my granny. Above her high-necked woolen jumpers. I can picture it now. An intricate thistle design. I would recognize it immediately if I saw it again.

We all have memories that live within us. Memories that are triggered by a certain smell, a specific sound or a glimpse - they are the building blocks that make us who we are today.

Precious pieces of jewellery are the same.

A beautiful piece of jewellery can last for generations. It outlives its owners and creators. It is a reminder of a different time. Of a bygone time and of people who once lived, laughed, loved and died. There is history and so many unique and wonderful stories that live within old, inherited jewellery.

It is why I love every single Legacy journey. Why every Legacy piece is so special.

Legacy jewellery is more than just a piece of beautiful jewellery. More than the diamonds and gemstones. More than the precious metal and craftsmanship. In a world of instant gratification and stylized perfection, it is something real. An authentic, emotional link to a past gone, but not forgotten.

My Legacy

I have my mum’s wedding, engagement and eternity rings. I am not yet ready to do anything with them. Instead, every so often I take them out of their little box and immediately I am transported to a time when I felt safe. When life wasn’t quite so complicated. When she would take off her rings to bake and put them on a little red ceramic dish next to the sink while I helped her rub the flour and butter together or slowly stir the sugary raspberry jam boiling on the hob. My granny’s old recipe.

Memories are incredibly powerful. At times they can be debilitating. I have a fear that my memories will fade. That I will forget the feel of my dad’s strong healing hands, or the sound of my mother’s raucous laugh. But then I look at his watch, I touch her small sapphire and diamond engagement ring and they are suddenly as real again as the air I breathe.

My Legacy.

Sarah