stainless steel jewelry

Jewelry is the materialized container for spirituality

Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss once said: "It is not we who tell the myths, but the myths that tell us about themselves." Precious jewelry is like this - beyond their practical functions, they become the language through which a woman's body communicates with the outside world. Women in the Neolithic era already knew how to adorn themselves with animal bones, shells, and colored stones. These primitive jewelry items were not only an instinctive pursuit of beauty but also the initial encoding of social identity. In ancient Egypt, necklaces were not only for decoration but also a symbol of the sun god Ra. The metallic luster was believed to illuminate the path of the wearer's soul. In African tribes, women stretched their necks with layers of necklaces, and this painful aesthetic practice was a firm declaration of their ethnic identity. 

A silver hairpin left by my grandmother was given to her by her mother when she got married. This hairpin remained in her hair for several decades, but it told a more powerful story of a woman's self-persistence in the midst of societal constraints than any grand words ever could. 

The relationship between modern women and accessories is much closer. Psychological research has found that the process of women choosing and wearing accessories is actually a form of "self-positioning". Each accessory is a container of memories, a carrier of emotions, and a coordinate point for self-awareness. My colleague Lily always wears a simple pearl necklace, which makes him more confident at work. 

Neuroscience may be able to explain this connection - when we wear items with special significance, the tactile feedback activates the areas in the brain related to emotional memories. The ornaments become a kind of "wearable memory", physically connecting our past with the present. 

Interestingly, contemporary women are redefining the relationship between accessories and power, as well as gender. Traditionally, expensive jewelry was often given as a gift by men or passed down within families, carrying an implication of ownership. But today's women are more inclined to purchase accessories for themselves and give them new meanings. 

Perhaps the most touching aspect is the way these accessories serve as a means of emotional transmission between generations. The cherished accessories are rarely due to their expensive materials, but rather because they embody specific individuals and moments. 

The most precious item in my jewelry box is a plastic pearl necklace. My mother bought it for me when she was away from home. I regarded it as a treasure. Twenty years have passed, and I have been keeping it. This is not just a necklace; it is also my mother's love. 

Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai points out that the lifespan of objects is often longer than that of human beings. They witness, carry and transmit emotions. The jewelry that women keep is precisely such an emotional container. They are the guardians of family memories and the silent communicators between generations.

Occasionally scrolling through friends' circles, one can often see those familiar faces constantly changing and wearing various styles of earrings and necklaces, some sophisticated and some exaggerated. People are increasingly expressing themselves through clothing and accessories.