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Jewelry Collectors Who Do Not Wear Jewelry

By: Kristy Lee

I have been collecting vintage and costume jewelry for many years and often times I get the question asked of me, "Why do you collect jewelry when you hardly ever wear it?" My answer is that jewelry is art and you do not have to wear it to enjoy it. That is when they want to know, "What, then, do you do with it?"

First of all, I need to tell you that if you can wear jewelry well, by all means wear it. But if you are like me and have no reason or occasion to wear jewelry, or simply do not feel comfortable in it, there are many reasons to be a jewelry collector anyway.

For instance. The act of collecting jewelry is a great hobby. Hobbies give you a reason to wake up, get dressed and have something to look forward to in your day. This, in turn, leads to the next reason: Because just having a hobby (i.e.) (jewelry collecting) is good for your mental health.

Jewelry collecting gives you something to focus on when you are sad. Surrounding yourself with beautiful sparkling objects, which appeal to your senses of sight and touch, can give you many moments of pure joy. Collecting jewelry can even help to improve your physical health. Rather than sitting on the couch eating bonbons, you can be out walking flea markets and estate sales searching for your newest jewelry treasures.

What then, can a non-wearing jewelry collector do with their jewelry?

First off, you can organize it - yes, this is fun!

You can spend hours sitting on the floor arranging your jewelry by colors, sizes, styles,designer names, etc. You can also count your jewelr pieces, study and inspect them.

There is so much to learn about each jewelry piece, including it's history, materials it was made with and the name of the designer who made it. Next, you can lend your jewelry to your friends on their special occasion especially weddings. Your friends will love you for this.

There are also endless ways to decorate with your jewelry. Christmas trees look wonderful with lots of sparkling earrings clipped on to their branches. Shadow boxes filled with your collections look fabulous and are able to be viewed by others. Lamps look great with necklaces draped over them, as do doorknobs and corners of picture frames.

Jewelry is art. Viewing art is a personal experience. Your collection does not have to be pleasing to others, only to yourself.

Kristy Lee is a jewelry artisan and antique collector.