When it comes to jewellery, we all have a style we love, whether it’s the colour or finish of the metal, or making sure all pieces are from the same jeweller or designer. How, then, does this come together into a collection of pieces that are steeped in sentiment, reflective of memories and the milestones of our lives?

Looking through your jewellery box can leave you revelling at times you wore certain pieces; a nod to passing fashion tastes, or have memories of loved ones flooding back to you. Whether that’s from gifted pieces, those that are inherited as heirloom jewels or those you bought for yourself.

In our teens and young adulthood, enduring and everlasting jewels are not our top priority. Often precious jewellery from these times are gifted- a pendant from your parents on your Eighteenth birthday perhaps, a watch for your graduation, or a pair of gold earrings celebrating your first job role.

These pieces lay the foundation for your jewellery collection. They give you an idea of what jewellery suits you, and what pieces you enjoy wearing, and which metal colour and finish suits your skin tone. From here your collection will grow to reflect what stage of life you are in, milestones you reach, and your relationship with yourself and those around you.

In your early twenties, as you pave your career path and lay down foundations for lasting relationships, you find your self-confidence in styles and have a larger budget to invest in pieces you want; and your jewellery collection reflects this shift. Whether it be a new job, a trip to a new destination, or the start of a relationship, milestones are marked by sentiment filled pieces.

The ‘She’s Not Lost’ Pendant by Tide & Trove (see below) is true to this era. Symbolic of a compass, each point is marked with a golden granule encrusted with a champagne ocean diamond. This piece acts as a gentle reminder that we are all exactly where we should be. ‘She’s not lost’ is engraved on the reverse as standard, but this can be personalised to a message of your choosing, should you prefer.

Today’s generation, with clearly defined priorities and values, are choosing to mark the less traditionally celebrated milestones themselves. Purchases of custom and bespoke jewellery from independent makers is on the rise, with people investing in their own heirloom jewellery. These pieces are not only meaningful and personal, but also produced with their socio-economic impact in mind. Using fair trade and ethically sourced materials is more important to buyers now than ever. These pieces may include charms, pendants and signet rings- or lockets that hold physical reminders of memories.

As you reach your thirties, you have a strong sense of who you are and what your tastes are . By now your jewellery collection may feature an engagement ring, marking the milestone of you and your significant other showing intent to spend the rest of your lives together. This will be added to further with your wedding rings, a true symbol of your dedication to your relationship.

Stacking rings work perfectly in the next era of our lives- our forties/fifties. Curating a beautiful stack of everlasting jewellery to wear for a lifetime. A ring could be added for each of your children, featuring a nod to their personality or birthstone, or maybe just engraved with their name. Similarly, an Eternity ring is a welcome addition to a curated stack. This could be could be a beautiful ring shaped around your engagement ring, and could feature several diamonds, significant of the decades spent together.

Pictured above is an exquisite stack, curated by Tide & Trove. Featuring a showstopper engagement ring and gently curving bands and crowns, all adorned with flush set ocean diamonds.

As we enter the later stages of life jewellery takes on a new meaning, and we start to think of our sentimental jewels as heirlooms for our family members. As we welcome grandchildren and our family network grows further, we think about passing these jewels to the next generation as a carefully curated collection we have cherished, that showcases our lives and holds our memories.

Will these jewels remain as they are, worn on the fingers of our grandchildren? Or will they be remodelled into more modern pieces, allowing them to be worn in line with the fashion of the time, yet still hold the memory of us?

Curating a lifetime of jewellery is worth every ounce of effort for the eternal enjoyment it will bring both us and our Heirs, in some shape or form.

Browse the images below for a selection of our conflict free Heirloom pieces.