My love for jewelry began when I was 13. I spent most of my childhood summers in Brooklyn, New York with my Grandparents. I distinctly remember going through my Grandmother’s jewelry box trying on her rings, bracelets and necklaces. For my 14th birthday, she bought me a custom bracelet with my name on it and it quickly became my most prized possession.

As everyone knows, New York is known for its culture of self-expression and the best fashion. It’s been years since I’ve been back to my second home, but if I close my eyes I can clearly envision the times I would walk to Knickerbocker Avenue to peruse the massive amounts of clothing and jewelry stores. It was my favorite place. I miss that street and that feeling of being in awe. As I grew up and as life happened, I didn’t take the time to visit jewelry stores and honestly didn’t even think to invest in fine jewelry. I just thought buying cheap jewelry from a fast fashion store did the trick – until I found myself having to re-purchase a month or two later when the color would start to fade. I must have gone through that cycle hundreds of times and only now realized that those purchases add up when I could have just bought something that would last in the first place.

Being able to purchase fine jewelry recently was such a treat and I got to experience that feeling of being in awe again. Most importantly, I was doing something special for myself and I think everyone should be able to experience that too. Owning fine jewelry isn’t completely unattainable, there are an incredible amount of options that may seem overwhelming but are worth exploring. I am so fortunate to have pieces added to my collection that will last me a lifetime.