Monday, August 21, 2006

High Roller

I love playing dress up.

It started when I was a little girl and my mom had a closet full of old clothes that she'd let me romp around in. My parents always said I was 3 going on 30, and I guess sometimes I wanted to wear the clothes that went with my 'tude.

I'd wear old peasant type Villager dresses and clomp around in her castoff ruby red platform shoes, thinking I was the hottest chick to hit Appleseed Drive.

I guess dress-up is still a fun game to play when you're 30, only at my age you get to try on a different caliber of stuff.

Bling, baby. Bling.

I had lunch with a friend of mine who is in the process of opening a high end jewelry shop in town. After our meal, she invited me over to her townhouse to look at some of her stock. I was kind of curious as to what kind of jewelry she'd be hocking in Mariemont, so I decided to check it out.

And I was pretty much bowled over.

The first piece I tried on was this beautiful white-metaled necklace with little shiny stones all over it. I briefly looked at the price tag and thought I saw a 30.00 on there. I casually said Nice piece of costume for thirty bucks and my friend was like, "Uh Kate. That's a comma and there's an extra zero on there.

Thirty grand. In white gold. And three carats in diamonds. On my neck.

Diamonds. On. My. Neck. Oh Mah Gahd.

She went on to dig in her box of ziplock freezer bags full of gems. Massive sapphire cocktail ring surrounded by an island of diamonds ($24,000). Quaint tennis bracelet with two carats of sparklers checking in at the reasonable price of $3,500. My friend suggested it was a bracelet I should consider since my 30th birthday was coming up and my parents are "Surely going to buy a substantial gift since it's a big birthday."

Yeah, right. And my dad is Dr. Phil.

The big two Big Mama items that I tried on for kicks and giggles: A diamond and sapphire necklace with the whopping price tag of 50 grand. It was a stunner with the most beautiful, blue translucent stones, but even if I were rich I don't know that I could legitimize buying a necklace worth four times my car. The other piece was an intricate tennis bracelet that measured about an inch and a half wide. Four carats at $32,000. Who would ever play a match of tennis in that??

The whole session was a fun one - it was nice to play Let's Pretend and try on the kinds of things that belong to the rich and famous. I think I know now what an actress feels like when she gets to borrow beautiful baubles from Cartier for the Academy Awards.

And while I may not have a treasure chest of cash stashed to buy a bunch of bling, the afternoon did get me thinking.

I am a big girl now, and I guess it's about time I start wearing some Big Girl jewelry. Even just a little bit.

Maybe I should go check out the Right Hand Rings at Zales.

6 comments:

The Notorious N.A.T said...

I love the pretty!

Oh how this girl loves the diamonds and sapphires. If I had any credit left to spend I would buy a right hand ring. Well, I could have gotten a really fabulous ring with the millions I racked up...bygones.

Denae said...

Post a pic of the ring you're thinking about, K. We want to help you shop!!

JAB said...

The night I was induced with E I was so completely nervous and decided that jewelry would make me feel better so Jon took me to Merkley Kendrick before we went to the hospital.

They let me try on whatever I wanted and it was so great!

Then they sent me flowers the next day!

NB-C said...

I'm just not that in to jewelry...I think it's because my mom was REALLY into it. She has like two rings on every finger and my dad always buys her bling to make up for the fact that he's a total a-hole.

Me! said...

I'm not that into the bling either. I love white gold, sterling silver and natural stones. But diamonds and rubies and all that doesn't do a thing for me really. I'm more simple. When I get engaged SOMEDAY the man will be very lucky to get off easy. If a man got me more than a carot I'd order him to take it back and downsize. Seriously.

Kate The Great said...

Nat- I'm a sapphire fan, too. I think emeralds look bad on my skin and rubies are kind of Old Ladyish. But a nice sapphire... oh be still my heart.

Diamonds rock, too.

D- lemme work on the pic thing this morning... You would be a perfect person to weigh in on what I should get.

Jab- I've never had a reason to try on fancy stuff. I feel like the people at Tiffany can smell the negative balance in my checking account the moment I walk in the door. Sunday was a totally foreign experience and I was bowled over by the fancy baubles.

NB-C - My mom is kind of the same way. She really doesn't have a bunch of stuff, but what she has is really great. She says she doesn't think of herself as one of "those" people with all the bling... So she sticks with sterling silver...

GAC- OH, I'm insisting on two carats or more, baby... Set in a six prong platinum setting.