Day of the Dead and your family Jewelery

Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory. On this holiday we discuss generational jewelry that is passed down by these loved ones. Things to consider when choosing keepsake jewelry gifts Just like any item, when it comes to longevity -- quality matters. There are four important takeaways to keep in mind when picking out your family’s signature jewelry keepsake: 1. The stone: Each gemstone is given a hardness rating, which measures how difficult it is to harm or destroy the stone. Typically, the higher the stone’s rating, the more valuable the stone is. Each precious stone is rated out of 10 on a Mohs scale. When picking out a signature heirloom or keepsake piece, you want to try and stay as high on the Mohs scale as possible. Four of the toughest stones are: diamonds, rubies, sapphires and topaz. However, there are some exceptions. Soft stones like pearls make for lovely keepsakes (it’s just crucial to maintain proper care over the years). 2. Choose a strong metal: Just like gemstones, a strong and durable metal is also an important factor to keep in mind. Not only do these metals retain value, but they keep your item in place and properly secure over time. Some of the hardest metals include silver, gold and platinum. Traditionally, the higher the k count on a gold piece, the more expensive it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most durable. While it might be more valuable, buying an 18k piece over a 14k piece for an heirloom may not be the best idea. The durability goes down when the count goes up (this has to do with the gold to alloy ratio). You’re likely better off (over time) with a 14k gold piece. 3. Personalization is key: Sentiment is a huge component of heirlooms and keepsakes. It tells future generations that they’re carrying with them a piece of their family history. Not to mention it sparks creativity and builds a unique component into your gift. Personalized jewelry gifts can be done through engravings, custom designs or specific stones (birthstones/zodiac/favorite colors). 4. Style needs to be timeless: Trends come and go, so it’s hard to say which jewelry decisions will stay or go out of style a hundred years from now. However, we can take a look into our past and see which pieces have retained style, value and inspiration for future styles and trends. Come down to Maddaloni jewelers and let us clean, discuss and help you keep your beautiful piece of family history alive!