From The Vaults
Reading about the discovery of Huguette Clark‘s fabulous jewels, which had been stashed away in a bank vault since 1940, prompted me to pay a visit to my own safe deposit box last weekend. I try and keep that which I don’t wear regularly carefully locked away so some hobbit doesn’t snatch away my preciouses.
I like to rotate things that I wear so nobody feels left out, but I have some jewels that more or less live at the bank permanently because of their sentimental value. The opal (above) and tourmaline (below) rings pictured here are gifts from Mr. Andrew’s mother. When they left Kenya in the ’70s, they couldn’t take any cash out of the country, so she had her currency converted into jewels. I like them because they’re big and colourful. I wore the Tourmaline ring when we got married. But the rings ultimately belong to Andrew, so I don’t wear them.
There are other pieces that I don’t wear often because they are too glam — like the enormous Edwardian citrine lavalier necklace and H. Stern Sputnik cocktail ring pictured below — so they sit in the vault awaiting an invite to the Oscars.
I also have some things that are beautiful, but not so practical to wear, such as this big and bulky Edwardian watch chain.Or this teeny tiny Victorian seed pearl and opal pin.
I have a surplus of rings, so some of my stash is just overflow, like the Edwardian diamond and sapphire ring pictured below. Mostly I let old and new jewels mingle while I played around and took pictures of my pretties with my iPhone. I’m turning into a weird Scrooge McDuck character. Next thing you know I’ll fill a pool with jewels and swim around in it.
I have the same sputnik ring (my Grandmother’s) and I think it looks funky with jeans … casual… You might not want to wait for invite to oscars!
I used to wear it everyday before I knew what it was!
Does anybody know how i could find a H.Stern Multi Gem Sputnik ring for my mother? It was stolen many years ago. I would make her the happiest mom in the whole world. I’ve been searching all over the internet but with no succes.
I had the same sputnik ring for my 21st birthday (65 now) lost it earlier this year, great sentimental value and desperate to replace it. Don;t know how I lost it as never took it off but it must have broken or something and come off my finger!
I hope you find it!