Gold jewelry is a nice thing to own, but how is it an American collectible? There are a number of ways to pursue this collectible as an American phenomenon.
23 out if the 50 US states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming) have deposits of gold. A piece of gold jewelry made from local gold deposits are available in tourist shops near the mines, especially the ones that let you pan for your own gold. Or you may find small vials of local gold for sale in those same shops. On your travels, check with state tourist agencies for information on mines open to the public. There will be vendors nearby that can provide at least the raw material for your collection.
Gold jewelry based on historical designs from different areas of the US can make a nice collection.
A gold charm bracelet with a gold charm for each state would be a nice gold jewelry collectible for the US. Gold charms are harder to find than silver ones, but you may be able to find white gold jewelry charms. You will not even have to travel to each state to buy one, although that takes half the fun out of collecting them. Say get as many as you can through your travels, and buy the rest locally from a jewelry store. Or make each purchase part of a study of the state with your children, learning about the states history, geography and exports. This can take you beyond the state quarter collection you probably have going, and provide a family heirloom as well.
All states have state flowers, animals, etc. 22k gold jewelry incorporating these emblems of each state will be more subtle than charms in the shapes of the states, and in some cases one piece will provide an emblem for more than one state. The mockingbird is the state bird of four or five state, so one gold mockingbird charm or statuette will cover multiple states. Charms are still going to be the most likely gold representation of birds, animals, flowers or trees, but you may find, or even make, your own small statuettes or medallions.
Gold jewelry purchased at the state capital of each state, whether it is emblematic of the the state in question is a possibility. Then you can wear the jewelry without it being an obvious souvenir. Or patronize the best known gold-smith in each state for a piece of gold jewelry to represent the state in your collection. Each state is bound to have a well-known local jeweler. Or buy the most expensive piece of gold jewelry made in the state, if you have the means. Deciding how to represent each state is up to you.
Off the representative piece for each state trend. Any piece or set of jewelry with 50 components could be tied to the US. Gold Pandora or add-a-bead beads on a gold chain can represent the US. Or collect gold jewelry designs from the 35 sovereign (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela) in the Americas, especially if they are made from local gold deposits or resident jewelry makers. Sometimes gold replicas of stamps issued by the government of these countries are available. I know in Panama, one of their totem animals is the golden frog, and they make jewelry representing this emblem out of gold for residents and tourists. And who knows what kind of vintage costume jewelry in lesser gold ratios is out there.
There are many ways to make a gold jewelry collection representative of America, as the US or all the Americas. Think it over, do a little research and see which way you can collect gold jewelry as an American collection.
* * * Read about vintage cufflinks. * * *
* * * Read about other vintage jewellery or an amethyst necklace. * * *
* * * Music boxes often have a place to store special jewelry. * * *
* * * Monet jewelry provides an opportunity to collect better costume jewelry. * * *
The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.
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