Quarantine has left its mark on my jewelry box

Jul 9

Jul 9 Quarantine has left its mark on my jewelry box

If you know me at all, you know I’m like a ferret attracted to sparkly things (i.e. jewelry). I have pretty much worn the same collection of pavé diamond hoops, two diamond solitaire necklaces, a stack of blingy bands on my left ring finger and a not-so-subtle “cocktail” ring on my right middle finger for years (even for a grocery store run or Pilates class).

I stopped wearing my rings as soon as I stopped leaving the house in March, and by May I was down to one necklace. By June, I replaced my earrings with these super-simple, teeny-tiny Mejuri hoops. And as of last week I’m wearing an amber beaded choker with a dainty evil eye pendant. (Because I’ll take any help I can get right now.) The only remnants of my pre-pandemic jewelry look are three of my mom’s random bracelets—simply because I’m too lazy to take them off and they don’t get in the way of anything.

This shift can be interpreted in several ways… First, we’re all feeling a desire to get back-to-basics in some way or another. Second, over-ornamentation seems a bit inappropriate when the world is essentially crumbling outside our front doors. And third, there’s the whole “tree in the forest” mentality. (If no one sees it, does it really matter if I have it?)

I choose my reasons for leaving the house wisely, and last week I decided to make a trip to the bank and put all of my fine jewelry in our safe deposit box. It’s obviously more secure sitting idle there than in my house (and I’m sure my other more major pieces that live at the bank full-time were happy to have some new company).

The thing is, I have no idea when I’ll be going back to retrieve them. My calendar is obviously devoid of Saturday night plans, boozy brunches, in-person meetings or any other reason I’d usually wear jewelry (or heels). This makes me really sad when I actually stop and think about it—and makes me hate our current situation even more.

Is it just me, or does “normal” keep feeling farther and farther away? With no shortage of uncertainly and no end in sight, what will September, or the holidays look like? Maybe it’s time for online therapy, because I’ll certainly need it when online school starts next month. ;-)

UPDATE: Just a few hours after I published this post, my husband came into my office with a gift for me. (Granted it was a well-overdue Mother’s Day present that was delayed by COVID.) Is this a coincidence or serendipity? Either way, I love it, and it’s perfectly appropriate for quarantine—and when things get more back to normal!