Modern Armor
There was a time when knights suited up in metallic armor, clamoring in harmony with their movements. It was a defense, a uniform in battle; protective coverings worn with pride, faith, and confidence.
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I’ve been thinking about jewelry as a form of protection beyond self-expression. I find it so charming that people care about accessorizing and decorating our bodies with jewelry — despite its seemingly passive impact. Unlike undergarments, clothing, or shoes, jewelry holds no necessity, yet people dedicate much care to adorning themselves every morning, and wearers often have surprisingly picky personal tastes. There’s a lot to observe about what pieces we gravitate towards; and I’m intrigued by specific jewelry that is particularly favored, eccentric, or extravagant.
I’m fond of the idea that jewelry is like wearable trinkets, like ornaments we decorate ourselves with. But still, I wonder why these little charms hold so much importance to us.
Why is jewelry something we care so much to embellish ourselves with?
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We decorate ourselves for delicacy, for simplicity, and to make ourselves feel elevated and perhaps stronger. Jewelry holds primarily visual impact outwardly yet a similar significance as armor — so we may consider it our modern armor.
To appreciate a charm in life, to find joy in ornate extensions of ourselves. We trust these trinkets with our identity and allow them to alter and adapt the manner in which we become perceived. It’s an intricate way we choose to extend our sense of identity.
It strengthens us. His fingers are armored by bold silver forms that grant his hands power. It grants more grit and certainty to his grasp.
We honor piercings; we allow pain to be inflicted upon ourselves to expand our ability to self-express — and we manifest our self-expression in metallic fragments that bond to our skin and link us in order to shimmer and glisten, to achieve a sort of surreal characteristic.
A desire to be eccentric. Vibrant colors and bright gemstones add spunk and sparks of brilliance to ourselves.
A celebration. Chains are earned — a reward and a reflection of their wearer’s character. He wears iconic pearls and respectable plaques around his neck as a blessing. It’s his own determination and persistence that’s earned them.
For timelessness. Silver and gold, diamonds and pearls and hoops. A class act.
Unlike the fabric we clothe ourselves within, the temporary permanence of our jewelry is more persistent — even when we, ourselves, forget its presence, it glimmers for others to see. She can’t see the silky gold ring that hugs her nostril, but others notice it with adoration and admiration.
In their honor. A ring passed down from her mother and prior her grandmother. A necklace that echoes her family’s fierceness and offers her soft smile a sharp edge. A handmade ring from his partner. A necklace from his mother that she promises will protect him.
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