What's your jewelry philosophy? Don't have one? Didn't know you needed one? We've been in the business for a long time, so we thought we'd share with you what it is about jewelry that still excites us. Believe it or not, it's not our dream to see every man, woman, and child walking around with five carats of flawless diamonds flashing about. Diamonds are beautiful and we love them, but by themselves they don’t get the job done. Diamonds by themselves are one dimensional. If you've been valuing your jewelry by the carat, it's time to think again about what makes a great piece of jewelry. A great piece of jewelry shines in three dimensions: Nature, Talent, and most importantly, Meaning.

Nature

It seems there is something ingrained in all of us to appreciate nature’s gems. We are fascinated by the idea that a large mountain of rock can contain tiny crystals of brilliance within. We see ourselves as those crystals. Ladies, have you ever referred to your man as a "diamond in the rough"? Some of us are more rough than others, but we all like to think we're gems. We value gemstones because we recognize it is not easy to shine, but it is worth the effort.  This celebration of nature's gems is by extension a celebration of ourselves, and it is what sets jewelry apart from other art.

Talent

Of course, to take the raw materials that nature has given us and showcase them in new and interesting ways requires talent. The best jewelers have developed talents in many areas. They are able to work with color like a painter and master form like a sculptor. And because jewelry is art that is part of our daily life, a jeweler must be part engineer with a twist of fashion designer as well. When looking for great jewelry, pay attention to how it is put together. Did the jeweler have the talent to make a piece of art that you can pass down from generation to generation?

Meaning

This brings us to the most important dimension of great jewelry: Meaning. The most beautiful gemstones in the hands of the most talented jeweler are worth very little if they have no meaning. And where does this meaning come from? You, the giver, and you, the wearer, make the meaning. One of our all-time favorite customers, the late Woody Bond, was a real genius when it came to giving jewelry with meaning. He understood that you do not need a special occasion for a piece of jewelry to be significant. In fact, he preferred to give his wife Cherie a gift on a "rainy Thursday", just because. Cherie was nice enough to share a photo of her favorite piece of jewelry. Is it a diamond encrusted necklace? No, it's Woody's gold-plated dog tags from his days in Vietnam made into a bracelet. The meaning held in this Marine's dog tags could never be matched by the most precious gemstones or the most talented jeweler. That is why Meaning will always trump Nature and Talent. When it comes to giving jewelry, we can all learn a lot from Woody Bond.

Image used with permission from Cherie Bond. (source:http://instagr.am/p/feDPi/)